Kullu tops tourist charts in Himachal

With over 74 lakh tourists visiting Himachal till May this year, tourist footfall was up a modest 3.5 % from last year. The scenic Kullu district, meanwhile, has emerged as the most sought-after destination.

Nearly 15 lakh tourists visited the district till May, with many heading beyond into the higher ranges of Lahaul and Spiti and even visiting Leh during the summer.

Atal Tunnel, which has the distinction of being the longest tunnel in the world at an altitude of over 10,000 ft, has bumped up the tourist influx into the tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti since it was thrown open in 2020.

The all-weather tunnel has led to a spurt in tourist activity in the region, providing a fillip to the hospitality sector. Locals are increasingly tapping into the tourism sector. Many have listed their traditional-style houses as homestays, so much so that the number of homestays in the region has shot up to 594 from 74, ever since the tunnel was thrown open for traffic.

Of the 74 lakh, 32,415 were foreign visitors. Their number has also gone up from the 23,174 who were in Himachal during the same period last year, tourism and civil aviation director Manasi Sahay Thakur said.

Numbers set to go up: Tourism director

“We expect more tourists till June end. Efforts are afoot to improve inter and intra-state connectivity through the construction of heliports. A major focus is on infrastructure development like creating wayside amenities besides opening wellness centres,” the director added.

“The burgeoning tourism sector is seeing a surge with homestay options, particularly around the major tourist destinations. The Kandaghat-Sadhupul area has emerged as a notable hotspot,” tourism officials said.

Solan, due to its close proximity to Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab, has also experienced a significant influx of tourists this year, overtaking the capital. As many as 10.4 lakh tourists visited Solan, more than the 9.9 in Shimla.

“There was more tourist rush in the tourist towns of Chail and Kasauli and Barog,” Sahay said, adding that Reva waterfall in Solan emerged as a popular destination for tourists.

Parts of Lahaul and Spiti, as well as Kinnaur, draw visitors to their breathtaking valleys and snow-capped mountains and unexplored trails, but districts like Kangra also witnessed rush, especially during the navratras due to the presence of Shakti Peethas — Brijeshwari, Jawalamukhi, Chamunda and the temple of Baglamukhi.

Hotelier associations across the state time and again have asked the government to keep a check on illegal homestays that have mushroomed in residential areas, noting that they can deprive the government of revenue and harm the industry.

There are currently 4,289 homestays registered with the tourism department, offering 17,222 rooms and 26,727 beds. Kullu district boasts the highest number of homestays at 1,040, followed by Shimla with 805, and Lahaul and Spiti with 718.

“Though late but government has taken the initiative to check the homestays,” Himachal Pradesh Himachal Tourism Stakeholder Association’s Mahender Seth said.

The cabinet has constituted a three-member sub-committee to check illegal homestays.