Punjab Govt to rope in big-ticket investors in tourism, hospitality, wellness sectors
Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, September 7
The Punjab Government will be offering the state’s rich culture and heritage to big-ticket investors in the tourism, hospitality and wellness sectors, who are set to participate in the Punjab Tourism Summit and Travel Mart that begins here on Monday.
They will also be shown the military traditions of ceremonies at the International Border and natural beauty in the Kandi hill areas and islands in Pathankot at the tri-junction of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
The revival of the long-shelved project of developing Kalara and Musharba islands in Ranjit Sagar dam in Pathankot is also on the cards.
Talking to The Tribune here today, Tourism Minister Anmol Gagan Maan said that with hospitality giants like ITC, Club Mahindra and Leela Group confirming their presence at the summit and the government offering them incentives and ease-of-doing-business, she was sure that the tourism project in Pathankot would take off soon.
“These hospitality industry captains will be taken to Pathankot on September 12 as part of the Familiarisation trip. We will also show them other places of natural beauty around Hoshiarpur and Anandpur Sahib, which can be developed as sustainable tourism spots,” she said.
Maan added that a Festival of Rivers is also being observed in Pathankot to create tourist interest there.
The government aims to develop a patriotic tourism circuit covering Wagah, Hussainiwala and Fazilka.
“The retreat ceremony at Wagah border sees an average of 25,000 tourists daily. We will try and use this number to promote the similar ceremony at the Hussainiwala border. We will be talking to the BSF top brass to allow first-hand interaction of tourists with the personnel,” she said.
Amongst others who have shown keen interest in participating in the summit are the top brass of Ramoji Film City, Imagicaa Theme Park, besides some top Bollywood actors, the minister said. “We are looking at developing a state-of-the-art film city here,” the minister, who is herself a singer, said.
Religious tourism to be promoted
- Religious tourism, which draws 1 lakh tourists to Golden Temple daily, to be strengthened
- Kapurthala’s Darbar Hall and Gol Kothi and Sangrur’s Wadda Ghalughara memorial to be shown off to initiate cultural and heritage tourism.
- Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village of Khatkar Kalan and retreat ceremonies at the border posts to be brought on tourism map to promote patriotic tourism
Bid to woo Bollywood
We will be wooing Bollywood filmmakers and actors to promote Punjab as a place for filming. A policy promoting entertainment industry here is also on the cards. — Anmol Gagan Maan, Tourism Minister
