Himachal rolls-out incentives for new tourism projects in state

Shimla: Aiming to develop tourism as a key sector for economic transformation, and employment, Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Monday accorded approval to Tourism Policy 2019 incentivising all-new tourism projects coming up in the under-developed areas. There will be five per cent capital subsidy for the new projects under this category maximum up to Rs 3 crores.

To provide accessibility to new tourism projects, which lacked road connectivity and also drinking water supply, the government proposed a 15 per cent subsidy.

"There is also going to be subsidy component for the adventure tourism project of all kinds, and those setting-up tents will be encouraged with additional 10 per cent incentives on investments," said Chief Secretary Srikant Baldi, after the cabinet meeting.

He said, "The idea is to bring a boost to the tourism sector, which has the potential to bring in revenue to the state, create employment avenues and generate wealth."

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided over the cabinet. Other highlights of the policy included special focus on eco-tourism, agro -organic tourism, snow tourism, lake tourism, pilgrimage tourism, cultural and heritage tourism, health and wellness tourism, film tourism and MICE tourism (Meeting Travel, Incentive Travel, Conference Travel and Exhibition Travel).

Diversification of tourism through theme-based development, to safeguard state's tourism destinations through sustainable interventions, to ensure that sustainable tourism primarily benefits host communities and to provide safe, secure and unique tourism for all will also be the focused area.

More than 1.90 crore tourists visit HP every year of which nearly five are foreign tourists. But, for past few years, despite several new tourism projects coming-up, the sector was not doing well keeping the major hill destinations restricted up to seasonal tourism, or weekend tourists, mainly for Shimla and towns like Dharamshala and McLeodganj. "We have been working on the tourism policy to make the sector more vibrant and ensure that investments are attracted not alone for hotels and resorts but also other activities," said the CM. Those in the tourism sector have long been asking for opening up new areas to tourism and lifting-up of restrictions in certain areas, including those categorised as forest land, for tourism-related activities.

Manali, for example, which gets over crowed during the summers as there were no alternative areas developed to divert the tourism-driven for Rohtang Pass, faces serious problems and huge traffic jobs.

"We have submitted proposals and listed out places which can be developed as alternative sites to ease out traffic congestions and tourist influx at Rohtang Pass but nothing so far has been done by the successive governments," says Anup Thakur, who is president of Hoteliers' Association at Manali. Meanwhile, the cabinet also gave its approval to draft policy for buy-back of non-recyclables plastics waste and various kinds of single-use plastic waste including bags in Himachal Pradesh.