According to a PTI report, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh recently announced that over 1.23 crore tourists visited Himachal Pradesh in 2009-10, as well as efforts are on to add more sites and increase facilities to further boost tourism in the hill state. Out of the total, 1.19 crore were domestic tourists and four lakh were foreigners who arrived in the state till February-end 2009-10.
The tourist arrival was nearly double the population of the state, which stands at about 70 lakh. Dhumal, who also holds Tourism portfolio, said that the number of tourists arriving in the state has been increasing every year. “While about 88 lakh tourists, domestic as well foreigners, had visited Himachal Pradesh in 2007-08, the number rose to 97 lakh in 2008-09 which has further soared to 1.23 crore till February-end in the current financial year,” added Dhumal.
He said that steps were being taken to further boost tourism. Around 125 virgin sites abound with scenic beauty or historical background has been selected across the state for developing them into potential tourist spots. |