Himachal developing new tourist spots

In order to give a fillip to tourism in the state, Himachal Pradesh is developing areas like Chamba, Mandi, Rohru, and tribal areas.

Also, the state is inviting private players to improve the infrastructure on a built-operate-transfer basis.

Talking to Business Standard, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Tarun Sridhar said: "There has been a significant increase in the flow of tourists to Himachal Pradesh. As compared with the national figure of 7 per cent, Himachal is witnessing a 10-15 per cent increase in the inflow of tourists annually. The tourists have outnumbered the population of the state."

Around 7.2 million tourists visited Himachal last year, while the population of the state is around 6.2 million.

He said: "At present, tourists are restricted to areas like Shimla, Dharamsala, Manali, Dalhousie and Kasauli; so we are developing new areas to disperse the tourist traffic. Apart from strengthening the existing infrastructure at popular tourist spots, we are also targeting areas like Mandi, Chamba, and tribal areas."