Open House: what steps can the govt take to promote tourism and increase footfall in Amritsar?

Need Tourism board to be proactive

Amritsar should thank the internet and not the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) for the footfall it continues to receive from the different parts of the globe. The tourism board has done little to promote the city and its array of hidden gems and rare experiences. Tourists chiefly visit the Golden Temple, spectate the border parade at Attari and savour the mouth-watering food in the walled city. But there’s so much more in the city and its surroundings which has never been popularised. PHTPB doesn’t use their website and social media platforms to sincerely promote Amritsar or play the role of guide for the holy city. Beginning with shrines, Golden Temple is not the only Sikh temple in the city, there are several others with interesting histories which should be brought to the attention of visitors. This includes two shrines –a gurdwara and a sufi saint’s resting place along the border line near Khem Karan. At the airport, there’s a gurdwara, located between the runway and taxiway, which opens to the public every morning for a few hours. In Attari, other than the border parade, one can also explore many interesting villages known for their vintage architecture and memorials. While some are associated with the Mughal era, others owe their reputation to the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. To explore the scenic rural beauty of the area, one can take any of the three border trains (Khem Karan, Dera Baba Nanak and Attari) that run daily. During such journeys, the colonial era architecture marked by the station buildings can also be explored by visitors. I have personally enjoyed my travels to these locations but have never come across any promotions for them put forward by the PHTPB. The same can be said for several museums in the city. They have very low footfall, including the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum in Ram Bagh where impressive light and sound shows are organised every evening. Is it not the responsibility of the PHTPB and the ruling government to draw attention where it is needed? Things can change only if those really passionate about tourism get a chance to run the show. Let’s not forget that Amritsar has huge potential for tourism as it offers a lot beyond the Golden Temple. PHTPB can begin by first drawing inspiration from websites and social media accounts of tourism boards of several other Ind an states. Plenty needs to be learned and implemented if Amritsar is to get its due.

Rameshinder Singh Sandhu

Better civic infra will increase footfall Previous Punjab Governments, especially the Akali-led government, encashed on tourism in Amritsar by refurbishing the old Town Hall, Partition Museum and Heritage Street. But the AAP government is not far behind in terms of developing Amristar into a tourist hub. It has added to the charms of the society by transforming the Gobindgarh Fort into a significant cultural and historical attraction and introduced a weekly hop-on-hop-off bus for a city tour from the Golden Temple to the Indo-Pak border, with stops at the Mahraja Ranjit Singh Museum and the Ram Tirath temple. Hotel Sarovar at the old circuit house is a frequented by businesspersons as well as tourists. Inspite of efforts to increase footfall, Amritsar has been left wanting a revamping of its sanitation infrastructure and better management of law and order. Snatchings are commonplace and often leave tourists terrified. People visit Amritsar for religious and patriotic purpose but encounters with filth and litter discourage them. We boast of Amritsar as ‘Sifti da Ghar’ but fail to live up to the name. Unmanaged traffic and jammed streets pose major challenge for visitors. In order to enhance tourist footfall in the city, basic amenities need overhauling. The Indo-Pak border is a major attraction outside Amritsar city but two more nearby sites can also be promoted as tourist attractions. They include the hydropower powerhouse at Taran Wala Pul and the cruise at Upper Bari Doab canal. By providing great quality basic facilities to tourists, the city can attract more of them. As the saying goes, give the quality, quantity will follow automatically.

Madhu Sharma

long-term tourism strategy a must

The Aam Aadmi Party-led government has taken some steps to promote tourism in Amritsar, but the impact appears limited. Initiatives like improving air connectivity, encouraging film shoots and destination weddings and investing in projects such as the Attari border makeover have contributed to tourism growth. However, most efforts are broader state-level initiatives rather than a focused, long-term tourism strategy specifically for Amritsar. Issues like poor urban management, lack of night tourism and limited entertainment options still restrict visitor engagement. To increase footfall, the government should develop a comprehensive “Amritsar Tourism 2.0” plan with better infrastructure, cleanliness and traffic management. Promoting “Amritsar by Night”, cultural festivals and heritage walks can extend tourist stays. Improved digital marketing, international connectivity and diversified attractions beyond religious tourism are essential. Public-private partnerships and sustainable tourism practices can further enhance the city’s appeal globally.

Madhu Sharma

Govt, residents must jointly fix civic issues

No doubt every government does its best to promote the development of its state and cities, but still there is scope for improvement. To increase the footfall of visitors in the holy city, the stakeholders, including the government organisations, social welfare associations, business community and locals must all work in collaboration. Visitors arriving by bus at the main bus stand are often met with a poor first impression due to excessive noise and unorganised stoppage of the three wheelers and e-rickshaw. The roads need to be repaired on a priority basis. Moving further, the roadside garbage aggravates the sanitation situation. There is a pressing need to plant indigenous and medicinal trees in the city. They will provide shade and purify the air rather as opposed to the ornamental role played by decorative trees. Additionally, the BRTS lane needs to be fully functional to ease commute and reduce traffic congestion.

VIJAY LAXMI

Must fix legal hurdles related to hotels, infra

Not much has been done by the AAP government in the last four years to significantly promote tourism in Amritsar. While the city continues to attract visitors due to its religious and cultural importance, policy implementation and infrastructure development have remained weak. A major issue lies in the Amritsar Walled City (Recognition of Usage) Act, 2016, along with its amendments and the Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2025, which regulate guest house approvals. Although provisions like Form ‘A’ allow owners to regularise violations, the reality is that a large number of hotels and guest houses in the walled city continue to operate without proper authorisation. The situation is further complicated as the High Court had stayed the 2019 Act and there is want for clarity regarding the situation. The government must take proactive steps to resolve legal hurdles and ensure compliance through transparent and practical policies. In terms of infrastructure, there is a clear lack of efficient public transport for tourists. Projects such as metro, tram or ropeway systems could greatly improve connectivity and enhance visitor experience. Additionally, proper parking facilities at all entry gates of Amritsar are urgently needed to reduce congestion inside the city. Overall, a focused approach on legal clarity, planned urban development and modern transport solutions is essential to increase tourist footfall in the holy city, which will drastically boost the GDP of Punjab.

Sameer Jain

Shrines draw visitors, shiny infra keeps them

Amritsar tourism is on a self roll, and the inertia is generated by pilgrim calling. The fact of the matter is that tourism requires sensitivity, security and simple infrastructure. The experiential aspects are well managed by the private stakeholders anyways. Regrettably, what is termed as public tourism interaction such as the Rangla Punjab event leaves much to be desired. The same is true for last mile connectivity, sensible convention facility for MICE facilitation, management and upkeep of legacy assets and signages and brand promotion. Pilgrim footfalls to the city are plenty, it is the extension of stay by projecting other sites in and around the city that is lacking significance. Kalanaur, Ram Tirath, Harike, Pul Kanjri, etc, are all undersold as tourist spots. Amritsar is the cultural and religious capital of the state and can provide synergy across the state for travel circuits. The powers that be seem to be unaware of this potential.

Gunbir Singh

Info centres will make city visitor-friendly

The AAP-led government in Punjab, during its four-year tenure, has not done enough to promote tourism in Amritsar. It has incurred more expenditure on advertisements by way of huge hoardings, banners in self promotion than tourism in the holy city. The holy city tag and smart city status exists only on paper, while piles of garbage,traffic chaos, poor sanitation,overflow sewerage system, encroached roads and widespread snatchings have become the order of the day. The seriousness of the government can be gauged from the recent notification to declare Amritsar as a ‘heritage city’ but with deferred implementation plan as tobacco, liquid shops continue to do business as usual. The only tourists’ information centre at the railway station, with its skeleton staff, need to be upgraded with adequate number of government enrolled tourist guides as private guides are fleecing the visitors. More such information centres at the ISBT, airport and malls should be opened to help visitors plan their tour itinerary. All religious places, sites and city road signs should be displayed in tri-lingual language instead of bilingual by including Hindi to facilitate tourists from the vast Hindi hinterland. The administration should increase police pickets around the Golden Temple,Durgiana and open missing person help desk. Last but not the least, in an effort to increase footfall in the city, the government should pay more attention to the poor law & order situation that is currently plaguing it.

Anil Vinayak

Smart city solutions keY to solving issues

The AAP -led government has taken some steps to promote tourism in Amritsar, but overall progress has not been sufficient to match the city’s potential as a major spiritual and cultural destination. Key issues like cleanliness around heritage sites, especially near the Golden Temple and adjoining markets, still need consistent attention. Traffic congestion remains a major concern, with poor traffic regulation and lack of proper pedestrian pathways affecting visitor experience. Parking facilities are inadequate, forcing tourists to struggle for space and often park in unsafe or unauthorised areas. Road safety measures, including proper signage, lighting and enforcement of traffic rules, are also lacking. Tourist safety, particularly during peak seasons, requires better crowd management and visible policing. The government should invest in smart traffic systems, multi-level parking, strict sanitation drives and improved tourist assistance services to significantly enhance footfall and overall satisfaction of visitors.

Dr Astha

Govt must take note of city’s condition, issues

The historic holy city of Amritsar had emerged as a major tourist destination over the past two decades. Sukhbir Singh Badal’s personal efforts in constructing the world-class Heritage Street leading to Sri Harmandir Sahib has played a major role in attracting national/international tourists. His government deployed about 150 police personnel to maintain the beauty of and safeguard the path to the Golden Temple. The Badal led Akali-BJP government released sufficient funds to carry out the beautification of Durgiana Mandir, Ram Tirath Mandir and Qila Gobindgarh besides raising the War Memorial, Partition Museum to foster tourism. However, the rise of the AAP in Punjab has resulted in a sorry state of affairs for Amritsar tourism. Nowadays only two to three police personnel can be seen at the Heritage Street. The officers are unable to control the inconvenience caused to tourists by beggars, vendors, toy-sellers, photographers, taxi-owners and hoteliers. Heaps of garbage accumulated in the vicinity of the Golden Temple area have dealt big blow to tourism. All city roads, roundabouts and parks are devoid of flowering plants and ornamental trees. The plantations under the elevated roads have also been ignored by the government. District police chief has been requested for 24×7 police patrolling on Amritsar- Airport road and Amritsar-Attari roads, along with the internal city roads, especially roads leading to Golden Temple from the railway station and bus stand for the safety and security of tourists. However, no heed has been paid to these genuine demands. Amritsar’ s economy is mostly surviving on tourism as other industries have left the city and migrated to neighbouring hilly states. The state government has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear towards public suggestions for the promotion of tourism in the city.

Kulwant Singh Ankhi

tourism sector needs revamping, new hires

Punjab, especially Amritsar, presents immense potential and opportunities for the tourism industry to flourish but it is unfortunate that our governments are completely disinterested in tapping this potential. The current government’s efforts to promote tourism are not noteworthy. When we talk about Punjab tourism, the conversation begins and ends with Amritsar. No efforts have been made to promote other parts of the state, even Kapurthala and Patiala which mark the epitome of Punjabi culture and heritage. The government has failed to understand the importance of the tourism industry and its potential. Even Amritsar, the so-called tourist hub of the state is suffering from widespread neglect and lack of civic amenities. The neglect of the sector is reflected in the fact that many of the workers employed by the Tourism Department, who were deployed in Amritsar, have left their job due to irregular and low wages. No new recruitments have been made and no plans to upgrade infrastructure have been highlighted. These issues need to be addressed on a priority basis.

Gurinder Singh Johal

govt must prepare to manage crowds better

The Aam Aadmi Party-led government did not make any special efforts for the ‘House of Sifti’, Amritsar. It was extremely necessary to provide special packages for this holy land but the government has nothing of the sort. If many people visit the city on Saturday and Sunday, the whole city would be jammed. The government machinery would surely fail. The government has not prepared any facilities for the common people, including the residents. It will make a mess for the pilgrims. The government must take steps to prepare to effectively handle large footfall in the city and not letting it break down into mayhem during festivities and special occasions.

Madhupal Singh