Lacunas in Tourism development in Himachal :

The picturesque state of Himachal Pradesh is nestled between the snow topped Himalayan ranges in North India. Known for its spectacular and panoramic landscapes, this traveler's paradise is blessed with lofty snow peaks, deep gorges, verdant valleys, thundering rivers, enchanting mountain lakes, flower carpeted meadows, ancient temples, and magnificent monasteries steeped in time. Dotted with numerous hill stations, Himachal till date is  not able to utilize its tourism potential the way it can. The lacunas in state tourism are :

Traffic congestion :

Shimla, the gate to Himachal, needless to say, is heavily choked with traffic jams. During peak hours on a normal day, it takes an arduous amount of time to get from one place to another.A chaos has been there due to traffic when tourist season is in its full flow. Though a lot is being done – widening of the roads, following alternative routes etc. but that won’t suffice. Various places like Mandi, kullu, Manali and Rhotang pass also got so busy during peak season.

Parking facility :

Parking has been a serious problem in Himachal, especially Shimla, literally seen people fighting for a small space. And the local residents have to find faraway nooks to park their car because the designated packing spaces want to earn money by quoting higher prices at peak seasons to tourist.

Poor air connectivity :

Among the three airports of the hill state – Jubbarhatti in Shimla, Bhuntar in Kullu and Gaggal in Kangra district, none have regular flights. The issues behind connectivity root from lack of basic infrastructure problems. There’s no night landing facility, runways are small and airports can’t handle a large influx of people. The three airports here are not adequately stocked with other amenities like restaurants, food kiosk etc. The flights are also frequently cancelled due to bad weather.

 Competition from neighbouring states :

Tourists are also flocking to Jammu & Kashmir which is slowly opening up; with Uttarakhand too winning the spot among travellers. Needless to say, they have better connectivity and with time they will win the tourism bandwagon.

Even the branding and marketing of Himachal isn’t up to the mark. In fact, there’s no marketing, the Incredible Himachal promotion still lags behind. In a time where social media, internet and other ways to promote are being used by other states, Himachal is way-way behind. It is yet to see a full-fledged, contemporary and swanky ad campaign thoroughly dedicated to Himachal tourism.

Railway connectivity :

Shimla–Kalka railway is a World Heritage, declared by UNESCO, but the railway connectivity hasn’t improved or evolved an inch in the state for many many years. It is still cashing on the infrastructure that was set by the British.

No new routes have been explored, no modernization, no new technology implemented. If a tourist is given a better connectivity option, they would choose to travel to Himachal via flights or fast-moving trains. The altitude sickness coupled with motion sickness through meandering roads isn’t something everyone loves. Hence, an immense scope for improvement lies in improving the overall transportation sphere of Himachal Pradesh

 Ignoring Eco-tourism :

Himachal Pradesh is gifted with topographic diversity, historical monuments and religious shrines. But along with this, the state is also balanced on the fulcrum of fragile environment. Nothing has been done to promote eco-tourism in this state at the scale it needs to be done. This has both an opportunity for the tourism industry to gain more momentum, while also save the ecosystem of the state.

The State’s Forest Department alone manages more than 400 forest bungalows that are located at various peak points across the length and breadth of the State. But there is no promotion done on behalf of the department or any advert related targeted at eco-tourism.

Lack of promoting art and culture :

Himachal Pradesh has a rich heritage of handicrafts. These include woolen and pashmina shawls, carpets, silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other houses hold items.

There is such a huge treasure of local handcraft in Himachal that if promoted it will be a hit both in national and international markets. But the there has been no attempt by the Government to either support or promoted local handicraft. If nothing is done then with time these timeless legacy might just vanish in oblivion forget about attracting tourists.

Tourism has been repeatedly tagged as one of the most important sectors for the state economy in terms of foreign exchange earnings and creation of employment opportunities. If it is attached with local handicraft and specialties, just imagine the scope of employment it can unearth. 

Safety threats :

A tragic incident at Thalout took place where 24 engineering students along with their co-tour guide were washed away in the Beas River. Then two French nationals went missing from Triund while trekking Dhauladhar and many more such incidents have brought a bad name to Himachal Tourism and projected it in a bad light.

The safety of tourists has always been the concern with law and order seldom being an issue in the state. But other safety aspects do matter such as with adventure sports which are a prominent highlight of the state.

There are many illegal operators in the ropeway business with either inadequate knowledge on safety norms or foolproof safety equipment. The foolproof safety steps taken by Goa, Bangkok, Switzerland and Malaysia need to be studied in detailed and need to be emulated which presently stay amiss.

The inadequacy of the facilities, lack of infrastructure and proper planning and management, in turn, crumples down at peak tourist seasons with the huge influx. This creates troubles for both the tourists and the residents.

     The tourism industry is the source of livelihood to many across the state and it also contributes to state’s overall economy. Hence it makes sense to invest time, management and monetary support into it. Nature has truly blessed Himachal with a unique beauty and awe-inspiring splendour. But if it is not projected the way it should be the government then tourism in Himachal will suffer.