📌 Tourism Economy

Tourism is a vital cog in Himachal Pradesh’s economic machinery, contributing approximately 7% to the state’s GSDP ⁸ and acting as a significant source of revenue and employment. The state witnessed a strong resurgence in tourist arrivals, with 1.80 crore domestic visitors and 83,000 foreign tourists in 2024, nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels. While domestic tourism forms the bulk, the recovery in foreign tourist numbers (highest since 2020 ) is a positive sign, though there remains considerable untapped potential to attract more international visitors, who often have higher spending capacities.

Himachal Pradesh offers diverse tourism experiences, including popular hill stations like Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, and Dalhousie, adventure tourism (trekking, rafting, paragliding), religious tourism (numerous temples and monasteries), cultural tourism, and increasingly, eco-tourism and agri-tourism. The HPTDC photo gallery showcases various tourism circuits like the Satluj Circuit (Shimla, Chail, Sarahan), Kullu-Manali-Mandi, and Dharamshala-Khajjiar-Palampur.

The state government is actively working to enhance the tourism sector. Initiatives include developing new tourism destinations to reduce pressure on existing popular spots, promoting lesser-known religious and cultural sites , and improving infrastructure such as roads, wayside amenities, and air connectivity through the development of heliports and airport expansion projects. The “Unforgettable Himachal” branding has been successful in increasing tourism revenue and job creation. Specific schemes like the “Himachal Pradesh Home Stay Scheme 2008” aim to provide authentic cultural experiences and boost rural economies. The “Chief Minister Tourism Start-Up Scheme” offers interest subvention on loans for constructing homestays and hotels, with an outlay of ₹50 crore. The push for diversifying tourism into areas like eco-tourism and agri-tourism is a strategic move towards sustainability and wider economic benefit distribution.

Table 3: Himachal Pradesh Tourism: Key Statistics & Initiatives

Aspect	Details	Source(s)
Tourist Arrivals (2024)	Domestic: 1.80 crore; Foreign: 83,000
Contribution to GSDP	Approximately 7%
Key Tourism Types	Hill Stations, Adventure, Religious, Cultural, Eco-tourism, Agri-tourism
Major Govt. Initiatives	CM Tourism Start-Up Scheme , Homestay Scheme Development of new destinations & infrastructure (heliports, airport expansion) , Eco-tourism promotion
HPTDC Performance	Achieved ₹107 crore turnover under current govt, up from ₹78 crore.
Investment in Tourism	State govt investing ₹2,415 crore for infrastructure, amenities, and adventure sports promotion.