Hoteliers seek better road links for Kullu villages

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 18

Distressed over the poor road and air connectivity to Kullu district, hoteliers of the district are demanding the better road connectivity in rural areas to promote eco-tourism in the region.

The district was blessed with the bounty of nature, which requires the immediate attention of the government to develop tourist destinations to attract more tourists to rural areas.

Hoteliers of the district say that with the promotion of eco-tourism in rural areas, it will ease the burden of tourists in Manali and Kullu towns. They say bad roads are a big hurdle in the way of promotion of eco-tourism in rural areas.

There are over 1,700 hotels and home stay schemes in Kullu district, which provides accommodation to tourists round the year.

A few days ago, an international seminar was held in Manali to chalk out a strategy to promote eco-tourism in state and thrust would be given on rural areas.

Anup Thakur, a hotelier in the district, said, “We appreciate the state government’s plan to promote eco-tourism but the poor road connectivity in rural areas is a cause for concern. We are lacking in adequate road infrastructure and air connectivity to attract more tourists toward Kullu-Manali and its adjoining areas, which is the need of the hour.”

Gajender Thakur, president of the Hotelier Association Kullu-Manali, said, “We demand better road connectivity to rural areas for the expansion of the tourism sector at the grassroots level. Tourists will enjoy rural culture if there will be adequate facilities to accommodate them.”

“At present, the Kullu-Manali tourism industry is suffering due to the poor road condition, where fourlaning work is in progress and tourists get stuck in long traffic jams for hours. In Kullu district, there is a vast potential of eco-tourism in Banjar, Anni, Manikaran valley, Nagar and Kullu-Manali areas, where tourist can enjoy a panoramic view of nature, but at present a majority of these areas are lacking better road connectivity,” he remarked.

“We urged the state government to provide better road connectivity in rural areas for eco-tourism promotion, which will generate self-employment opportunities for the youth in the district,” he added.