With over 10,000 arrivals, Tourist Information Centre on growth trajectory

At this TIC, tourists are provided with information regarding other tourist spots, hotels etc. They can request for guides who speak Hindi, English and French. The TIC has a cloak room, waiting area and washrooms. A CITCO canteen has been set up with Wi-Fi facilities being provided by the TIC.

Everyday, a Capitol Complex walk is organised for the tourists to the High Court, Open Hand monument, Geometrical Hill, Tower of Shadows, Martyr’s Memorial and the Secretariat.Says a guide at the TIC, “We also arrange guided tours for tourists, and everyday three tours to the Capitol Complex are organised. In each of these tours, we take about 30 tourists who are accompanied by one tourism police person, one guide from the tourism department and one armed personnel from the Chandigarh Police.”

The UT Administration has now also started online registration facility for the tourists to seek permission to visit the Capitol Complex. “Applying for permission to visit the Capitol Complex is a simple process on the website of Chandigarh tourism, and we do receive quite a lot of requests online as well,” adds Nishant.

With the Capitol Complex vying for the UNESCO World Heritage status in 2016, the establishment of this TIC at the Capitol Complex is a step in boosting tourism in Chandigarh. UNESCO has already included the Capitol Complex in the list of monuments which it is considering for the world heritage status in 2016. A team of experts is expected to visit the Capitol Complex in October.