Heritage sites may turn hotels: Sidhu

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 18 

Certain heritage sites may soon be converted into luxurious hotels as the state government invited the Indian Heritage Hotel Association (IHHA) to be a part of ‘Punjab’s heritage resurrection story’, here today. 

During an interface of the state government with the members of the association in the presence of Governor VP Singh Badnore at the Indian School of Business, Punjab Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu offered the association members to invest in the state and promised that the government would reciprocate doubly in that direction.

Terming Punjab a very big brand, the cricketer-turned-politician said so far, the state failed to preserve its rich heritage and legacy. Many of its monuments, having great historical value, were being ruined in neglect and it was the need of the hour to redeem them, Sidhu said. The minister also tried to sell the idea of developing Punjab as a ‘Big Punjabi Wedding Destination’. “We Punjabis are known for big, fat weddings and we head towards Rajasthan and other states for it. Why not Punjab? Let’s develop it as a ‘Punjabi wedding destination’. This concept will also attract our Punjabi NRIs in a big way,” said Sidhu, in a bid to attract the association members towards the state. 

He said the Golden Temple was being visited by nearly 1.10 lakh people daily whereas the number of visitors at the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Taj Mahal in Agra was around 18,000 and 10,000 everyday, respectively. 

“The need is to stop the visitors in Punjab for three-four days and here we need you (IHHA) to pitch in. We will facilitate you fully and it will be a win-win situation for both of us,” said the minister while addressing the gathering. Governor VP Singh Badnore asked the Punjab Government to introduce innovative ideas which were required for the promotion of heritage tourism in Punjab. He also called upon the association for extending its expertise in the conservation of heritage and development of tourism in the state.