Himachal CM appeals for investment in his state

New Delhi: Inaugurating the first ever business meets organised by the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal made a passionate plea to the investors for investing in Himachal which had much more on offer than the rest of the country.

In order to promote the tourism products of the State and attract the visitors, the Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation organised a business meet and a road-show-cum-tourism event at New Delhi under the brand 'Unforgettable Himachal' on October 23 and 24, 2010.

Business Meet was organised in Hotel Lalit on October 23, 2010 and Road show-cum-tourism event and exhibition was showcased at Delhi Haat in Delhi on October 24, 2010.

Dhumal was chief guest of the business meet, which was also attended by Manisha Nanda, Principal Secretary Tourism, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Arun Kumar Sharma, Director, Himachal Tourism, Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson/or representative of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Dhruv Shringi, MD Yatra.com, Dolly Abraham, Environmentalist, Managing Director, HPTDC and many other prominent personalities .

Dhumal said that the USP of the state lies in the natural bounty and unmatched hospitable environment.

The innocence and the culture of hospitality, abundance in belief and faith extending far beyond the expected and the prevalent one anywhere in the world beckons investors to invest in the state.

He said, "The state of Himachal has embarked upon ambitious plans to make tourism as a number one industry in the state by ensuring benefits of industrial package to the tourism sector and by extending the benefits of industrial policy to the investors in the tourism sector. The state had introduced home stay scheme with a view to encourage visitor form staying in the midst of rural areas and to experience rural setting for them. The ethnic offering in more than one way pampers the guest in a manner which has no parallel in the country or in the world. Each village in the state is having its own deity and the legends associated with the villages are being documented in a scheme called 'Har Gaon Ki Kahani'."

The cultural heritage of historical town of Shimla has been vividly presented to the world in the shape of coffee table book 'Har Gha Kuchh Kehta Hai 'and with the introduction of local tour with in the city the nostalgic world of British Raj has been recreated.

The abundance of out-door opportunities make it a perfect place for investing in high-end tourism activities. With commissioning of heli-taxi services the biggest obstacle in connectivity has been overcome facilitating the development of ropeways, lakes, Airport and Film city, in sync with the protection of environment by way of most clean developmental practices practiced anywhere in the world.

Dhumal said that the Himachal is the perfect state to invest and to reap the benefits without injuring the eco system in perfect harmony and in commensurations with the forward looking ideas of the modern world.

By investing in Himachal the investors would assimilate in the heart and soul of this land of gods, being a part of the great peninsula but differing more then one way, the most important being the peace and tranquility by ensuring equitable growth maintenance of environment and providing an opportunity for all to grow together in lap of nature.