Himachal voted favourite summer destination

Himachal Pradesh has been voted as The Favourite Summer Destination by a survey conducted by a magazine.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said this survey was conducted throughout the country and was an authoritative benchmark of the consumers preferences in travel and tourism across 18 categories including hotels,airlines and hotel,holiday destinations.

He said the contribution of tourism sector towards GDP had increased from around 7 per cent in 2009 to the present level of 10 per cent. Himachal has become the first state to link the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme with the development of tourism infrastructure in the rural areas, he said.

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The state developed 12 rural circuits last year and rural tourism activities had been undertaken in 64 villages,he added.

Five killed as car falls into Ravi river

Shimla: Five persons,including two women,died when a car skidded off the road and rolled into the Ravi river in Bharmaur area of Chamba district late on Monday night. Those killed included two brothers. Reports said the villagers,who spotted the ill-fated vehicle,took police help to fish out the bodies.

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