Kangra to be developed as tourism capital of Himachal

In a bid to boost tourism in the state, the government of Himachal Pradesh is considering framing a new tourism policy to promote lesser-known places in the state. Recently, Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reviewed several projects aiming at developing Kangra district as a tourism capital of the state.

The projects aim at developing a roller skating rink in Sakoh, a golf course in Paragpur, a high-end resort in Menjha, a tourism village in Nagrota and an Aero City in Kangra. The information was shared by the CM during a meeting of the tourism department recently. In addition to this, the government is planning to set up a theme-based satellite village at Naura Khad in Nagrota of Kangra district.
He also informed that the government is making efforts to increase the connectivity of the state with the rest of the country.

"As part of these efforts, the government is expanding Kangra airport, constructing a greenfield airport in Nagchala, Mandi district, and building new heliports in the State. In the first phase, nine heliports are being constructed, viz: Jaskot in Hamirpur district, Rakkar and Palampur in Kangra district, Sultanpur in Chamba district, Manali in Kullu district, Jispa, Sissu, and Rangrik in Lahaul-Spiti district and Sharbo in Kinnaur district. The remaining seven heliports will be constructed in the second phase", the CM added.
The Minister said that the government is working to boost tourist influx in Himachal from three to five crore within the next five years. In May 2023, nearly 72 lakh tourists visited Himachal. The CM said that the tourism department has been asked to come up with a mechanism to accurately collect the visitors’ data.