Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that the state government is developing heliports in various parts of the state to attract high-end tourists. “Helicopter services at the Palampur, Hamirpur, Dharamsala and Chamba heliports will begin next month. Helicopter services have already been started for the Reckong Peo heliport to promote border tourism. It will improve air connectivity,” he asserted while presiding over a programme organised by the Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association on Sunday evening.
He said that he had requested the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to start the services of larger helicopters in Shimla. “However, due to operational difficulties at the Sanjauli heliport, land is being identified at another location in Shimla,” he added.
He said that the government had declared Kangra district as the tourism capital of the state and land worth around Rs 3,500 crore was being acquired for the expansion of the Kangra airport, which would help bring in more visitors. He added that the Bhubhu-Jot tunnel from Jogindernagar would be constructed to facilitate the travel of tourists visiting Kullu, Manali and Lahaul-Spiti from the airport.
The Chief Minister said that the development of the tourism industry was the priority of the state government and concerted efforts were being made to transform Himachal into a world class tourist destination. He added that infrastructure should be developed in a manner that tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh stay for at least eight to 10 days.
Sukhu said that the government was also promoting religious tourism in the state and Rs 300 crore would be spent on the development of the Shaktipeeth of Naina Devi Ji, Jwala Ji and Mata Chintpurni. He added that the government was investing Rs 3,000 crore on the construction of hotels, wellness centres and wayside amenities.
The Chief Minister said that after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the state had suffered significant revenue losses from the Baddi-Barotiwala industrial area and was now receiving only Rs 150 crore tor Rs 200 crore compared to Rs 4,000 crore earlier. He added that the tourism sector could play a major role in compensating for this loss.
