SHIMLA: Marking the highest footfall in the last six years, the number of tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh has crossed the one-crore mark in the first six months this year.
As of June this year, the number of visitors has reached 1.6 crore, including 99,78,504 domestic tourists and 28,239 foreign tourists.Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attributed this achievement to his governments efforts, from the very outset, in bolstering the tourism infrastructure.
The states attraction as an all-season destination has garnered international attention, drawing travellers from across the globe to experience its enchanting landscapes, he said.
The state government has set an ambitious target of welcoming five crore tourists annually, he added.In pursuit of this goal, the state is actively developing Kangra as its tourism capital, with a proposed investment of Rs 3,000 crore dedicated to this project in the coming times, said Sukhu.
Improving road and air connectivity remains a priority, with a focus on expanding the Kangra airport and establishing heliports across all districts, he added.The chief minister maintained that sustainability is at the heart of tourism vision, as the state aims to promote green tourism to ensure a safe and pollution free environment and create direct and indirect employment opportunities for its people.