Regional tourism promotion council mooted at conclave

The two-day conclave which began on Saturday, organised by Major (retd) Vijai Singh Mankotia, the vice-chairman of Himachal Tourism Development Board, focussed on major areas linking tourism with livelihoods and employment generation in the state on the day.

“We have three major sectors – hydro-power, apples and tourism – in our economy. I place tourism at top of the list as it is the fastest growing industry globally,” Mankotia said. He also touched upon some of the handicaps the state faced like lack of proper air and road connectivity.

The chief minister, however, said that a new airport to handle heavy-duty passenger aircraft was being proposed. The process to identify a site near Kandaghat was under way. The government is also mulling developing helipads in the far-flung and interior areas of the state, he added.

Gulshan Sharma, CEO of the International Chamber for Service Industry, stressed on the need to develop cinematic tourism, medical tourism and also presented a Rs 100 crore skill development project for the tourism industry, to the chief minister. Noted film-maker Ramesh Sippy, who is in Shimla for a movie shoot, later joined the chief minister and discussed plans to tap the state’s potential.