Project Report - Tourism Dev in Kullu - Ruchi

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KULLU, HP
Report submitted to WWF-India and NLU, Delhi for
the partial fulfillment for the award of the certificate of
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
MAY 2018- 19
Submitted By:
Ruchi Singla
Enrolment No. 04/May18/TEL
Centre for Environmental Law National Law University

WWF-INDIA Sector – 14, Dwarka
172-B, Lodi Estate NEW DELHI – 110078
NEW DELHI – 110 003 Ph: 011 – 28034992
PH: 011-4150 4771/ 72, 4150 4819 www.nludelhi.ac.in
E-mail: submissionscel@wwfindia.net
Date 31/05/2019
DECLARATION
I declare that the report entitled "TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KULLU, HP" submitted by me for partial
fulfilment for the award of the certificate of Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law and Policy
jointly offered by National Law University, Delhi and WWF-India is my own work.
This report has not been submitted for any other degree/certificate in any Institute/University,
whatsoever.
Ruchi Singla
NAME OF THE CANDIDATE SIGNATURE OF THE CANDIDATE

Contents
1. PROJECT INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 RATIONALE .................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................ 5
1.4 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................ 6
2. PROJECT AREA INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 7
2.1 STATE PROFILE .............................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY ............................................................................................................. 8
2.3 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING .................................................................................................................. 9
2.4 CLIMATE ...................................................................................................................................... 10
2.5 KULLU- DISTRICT PROFILE ........................................................................................................... 10
3. LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................... 12
4. TOURISM SCENARIO ........................................................................................................................... 14
4.1 GLOBAL LEVEL SCENARIO............................................................................................................ 14
4.2 NATIONAL LEVEL SCENARIO........................................................................................................ 14
4.3 STATE LEVEL SCENARIO............................................................................................................... 16
5. KULLU- TOURISM SCENARIO ............................................................................................................... 18
5.1 TOURISM DESTINATION CATALOUGING ..................................................................................... 25
5.2 TREKKING TOURISM DESTINATIONS ........................................................................................... 28
5.3 FAIRS & FESTIVALS ...................................................................................................................... 31
6. DESTINATION PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................... 34
6.1 TOURISM PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING............................................................................... 34
6.2 INFRASTRUCTURE PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING ................................................................. 39
7. TOURISM ZONING ............................................................................................................................... 41
7.1 Manali Cluster ............................................................................................................................. 42
Brief description of cluster.................................................................................................................. 42
Fact file ................................................................................................................................................ 42
SWOC Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 43
Proposed Interventions....................................................................................................................... 45
Proposed Tourist Package ................................................................................................................... 45
7.2 Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster ........................................................................................................ 46
Fact file ................................................................................................................................................ 47
SWOC Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 48
7.3 Tirthan Valley Cluster .................................................................................................................. 51
Fact file ................................................................................................................................................ 51
SWOC Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 52
7.4 BEAS CIRCUIT .............................................................................................................................. 56
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................... 57
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KULLU, HP
1. PROJECT INTRODUCTION
1.1 RATIONALE
Himachal Pradesh is a small mountainous State with abundant scenic beauty with five major rivers flowing
through the State from the western Himalayas. Hence, Himachal Pradesh has diversified tourism assets
that offer a wide range of tourism opportunities such as natural assets, socio-cultural assets and other
manmade assets. Tourism in Himachal Pradesh ventures into four broad regions namely Beas,
Dhauladhar, Sutlej and Tribal.
Kullu District is one the 12 districts in the state and it lies in the Beas Region. The Kullu District contains
spectacular mountain scenery and a fascinating cultural heritage with deep historical roots. For centuries
it has attracted visitors and has catered to travelers and traders. I have chosen Kullu for my Project due
to the diverse range of tourism assets and activities that this district has to offer. Kullu has some of the
very popular tourism destinations of HP such as Rohtang Pass, Manali, Solang Valley and Manikaran, and
on the other hand there are some lesser explored destinations like the quaint villages of Parvati and
Tirthan Valleys surrounded by dense forests. Tourism is the primary source of income for the local
community in this region, after agriculture. From the beginning of the 1990's, violent conflict in Kashmir,
upgrading of National Highway 21, improvement in communications, effective marketing, and growth of
the Indian economy all have contributed to a very rapid growth in tourist visitations and supporting
infrastructure which has occurred with both positive and negative effects.
In my Project, I wish to study the various tourism activities in the district, related infrastructure availability,
various government regulations, and positive as well as adverse impacts of tourism development on the
socioeconomic and environmental aspects of the region. The final outcome of the project will be to
identify the challenges and opportunities for tourism development in the district and propose strategic
recommendations.
1.2 OBJECTIVES
1. To assess the impacts of tourism development on socioeconomic and environmental aspects in the
study area
2. To approach tourism in a sustainable manner for destination diversification, livelihood generation and
community development within the capacity of natural resources
1.3 SCOPE
1. Literature review of
 Existing tourism scenario in the State and Kullu District
 Existing regulations related to tourism in the State
 Cataloging of the various tourism destinations and activities in the District
 Existing physical, social and tourism infrastructure availability in the District
2. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges of tourism development in the District
3. Identification of marketing products and infrastructure needs
4. Strategies for community engagement and employment generation
5. Strategies for Institutional and Financial capacity building
1.4 METHODOLOGY
Literature review and secondary data research: Collection of secondary data such as Annual Report,
Development Plan, Master Plan, Laws and Regulations, and other important plans, documents and reports
for understanding the existing scenario.
Data analysis: Critical appraisal of all the collected data and analysis of the existing scenario to identify
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges related to tourism development in the study
area.
Best Practices and Case Study: Secondary research to identify international and national level best
practices and case studies which may help in development and management of tourism in the study area.
Strategic Recommendations: Formulation of recommendations for improvement of tourism in the study

area through interventions at town, village, destination and regional level related to various aspects such
as infrastructure development, marketing- branding, community engagement, skill development, and
institutional and financial capacity building.
2. PROJECT AREA INTRODUCTION
2.1 STATE PROFILE

The State of Himachal Pradesh, situated in the North West region of the Western Himalayas, is one of the
most fascinating mountainous states of India. Himachal Pradesh, spread across a height ranging from
350m to 6974m above mean sea level, has a mammoth treasure of natural resources and a mosaic socio-
cultural diversity. Tourism is a major economic driver in the state and contributed nearly 6.6% to the State
GDP during the year 2017-181.
Population 6,864,602
Urban population 688,522 (10.1 %)
Area 55,673 sq. km
Overall Density 123 persons/Sq.km
Capital Shimla
Districts 12
Sub Divisions 69
Decadal Population 12.94%

Growth Rate (2001-
2011)
Literacy 82.80%
Sex Ratio (per 1000) 972
Average Household 4.6

Size
Workforce 50.30%
Participation
Major Industries Textiles, Tourism, Hydropower, Pharmaceuticals, Food Procurement and

Processing, Light Engineering, IT and Electronics, Cement
Climate Semi Tropical to Semi Arctic
Languages Hindi, Pahari, Punjabi, English
Religions Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism
International Airport Delhi, Chandigarh & Amritsar
Domestics Airports Jubberhatti (Shimla), Bhuntar (Kullu), Gaggal (Kangra)
1
Economic Survey of HP, 2017-18
Source: Census of India 2011 & State Tourism Brochures, Department of Tourism, Himachal Pradesh
2.2 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

Road is the major mode of transportation with HRTC and various private operators providing bus services
within the state and to the neighboring states. There are 17 National Highways connecting the state
stretching for a total length of 2,002.69 km. The State has 20 State Highways with a total length of 1,625
km and 86 Major District Roads with a total length of 4,056.37 km. The State has also received government
funding for various road widening projects including four-laning of 37.03 km long Chakki (Pathankot,
Punjab) to Sihuni section of NH-154, 225 km from Shimla to Matour section of NH- 103, 7 km long Paonta
Sahib Town section of NH-7, and four- laning from Kiratpur to Kullu and further two- laning from Kullu to
Manali section of NH-21 reducing the distance by 47km. Funds have also been allocated for construction
of 104.6 km long Paonta Sahib- Guma- Feduzpul section of NH-707, 109.45 km long Hamirpur- Mandi
section of NH-70, 15.75 km long Una to Bhiroo section of NH-503 A, and 23.105 km long Mataur-
Dharamshala- Mcleodganj section of NH-503. The 8.8km long Rohtang Tunnel connecting Manali and
Keylong will reduce the travel distance by about 60km, and also provide year around connectivity to the
Lahaul district which currently remains cut for about half of the year due to heavy snowfalls along the
Rohtang Pass.
Rail connectivity within the state is limited as only Una, Pathankot in Punjab and Kalka in Haryana are
broad gauge railway lines while Shimla and Joginder Nagar are connected by narrow gauge railway lines.
The proposed Bilaspur- Manali- Leh railway line will enhance connectivity of a significant region of the
state to Punjab and J&K. This project is not only important from defense and strategic reasons but will
also improve the passengers and goods connectivity to remote locations such as Lahaul and Ladakh.
State has 3 airports at Shimla, Kullu and Kangra well connected to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai,
Bangalore and Chandigarh. Cabs & state buses provide easy connectivity from airports to within the state.
Delhi, Chandigarh and Amritsar are the nearest International Airports to Himachal Pradesh. An
international airport at Nagchala in district Mandi has also been approved by AAI. Site has been identified
and surveys have been started for the same. There are 57 operational helipads and 12 new helipads are
under construction. Heli- taxi service has also been operationalized by the State Government in 2018 from
Chandigarh to Shimla, Kullu & Kangra.
2.3 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING

Himachal Pradesh is situated between 30 ̊22’ N and 33 ̊12’ N latitude and 75 ̊45’ E and 79 ̊04’ E longitude.
The State has a geographical area of 55,673 sq. km, which constitutes 1.69% of the total geographical area
of the country. It is surrounded by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab in the west and southwest,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the south and Tibet in the east. The Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Yamuna
are the important rivers of the state. The State lies in Himalayan mountain ranges and can be divided into
three zones from south to north i.e. The Shivaliks (outer Himalayas), Inner Himalayas (mid-mountains)
and Alpine Zone (greater Himalayas). The altitudes range from 350m to 6,975m above the mean sea level.
About one third of the area in the State is permanently under snow, glaciers and cold desert and the tree
growth is minimal due to these harsh conditions.
According to the India State of Forest Report, the recorded forest area of Himachal Pradesh is 37,033 sq.
km which is 66.52% of its total geographical area. The forest cover is 14,679 sq. km which makes up 26.37%
of the state’s total geographical area. The Reserved Forests constitute 5.13%, the Protected Forests make
up 89.46% and the Unclassified Forests constitute 5.41% of the recorded forest area respectively. There
are 2 National Parks and 33 Wildlife Sanctuaries constituting 13.65% of the state's geographical area.
2.4 CLIMATE
The State of Himachal Pradesh experiences a varied climate due to its altitude. The climate ranges from
hot and sub-humid tropical in the southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and eastern
mountain ranges with more elevation. During the period from December to March, the higher reaches
experience heavy snowfall which disrupts connectivity to Lahaul & Spiti district. The temperature varies
from sub-zero to 35 degrees Celsius. The average annual rainfall in the state is about 1,800mm. Snow and
the pleasant weather act as a major asset which helps attract large number of tourists all year around in
various regions of the State.
2.5 KULLU- DISTRICT PROFILE

Kullu district is one of the twelve districts in Himachal Pradesh. It is surrounded by Lahaul and Spiti district
in its North- East, Kinnaur in its South- East, Chamba and Mandi in its West and Shimla in its South. The
district mainly spreads out on either side of River Beas with its Tributaries River Parvati and River Tirthan
joining in from the East. Kullu was made into a separate district in the year 1963. The district is well
connected by National and State Highways to the major cities within Himachal Pradesh and surrounding
states. The district is also served by a domestic airport at Bhuntar which has frequent flights connecting
to major cities such as Chandigarh, Delhi and Mumbai. Rail connectivity is not available to this district as
yet but the proposed Bilaspur- Manali- Leh railway line will bridge that gap.
The district has a geographical area of 5,503 Sq. Km. and a population of 437,903 as per Census 2011. The
district has 4 sub- divisions namely Kullu, Anni, Banjar and Manali. There are 6 Tehsils namely Kullu,
Nirmand, Banjar, Manali, Bhuntar and Anni, and 2 Sub- Tehsils namely Sainj and Nither. The district has 5
towns namely Kullu, Manali, Banjar, Bhuntar and Shamshi. The population growth rate of the district over
the decade 2001-2011 was 14.65%. Kullu has a sex ratio of 942 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy
rate of 80.14%. The main population consists of Hindu followed by Buddhist and fractions of Sikh and
Christian religions. The predominant class consists of Rajputs, Brahmins, and then scheduled castes.
Land cover distribution in the district is as shown in the following table:
Land Cover Sub- Categories Area (in sq. km.)

Agricultural Crop Land 194.57
Fallow -
Plantation 459.41
Barren/ Uncultivable/ Barren Rocky 877.15
Wasteland Sandy Area 0.07
Scrub Land 201.46
Built Up Mining 0.32
Rural 22.01
Urban 12.61
Forest Deciduous 36.32
Evergreen/ Semi- Evergreen 1922.38
Forest Plantation -
Scrub Forest 122.71
Grass/ Grazing Grass/ Grazing 803.80
Snow/ Glacier Snow/ Glacier 794.19
Wetlands/ Water Bodies Inland Wetland 0.09
River/ Stream/ Canals 55.77
Water Bodies 0.13
Total 5502.99
Percentage of total geographic area of the State 9.88%
Source: Bhuvan, 2019
The next chapter gives a brief of the existing tourism scenario at global, national and state level, and
then details out the tourism scenario at the level of Kullu district. Tourism destinations, fairs and
festivals in the district have been enlisted with a brief description to understand the existing tourism
potential and identify future development opportunities in the district.
3. LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Main functions are Registration of persons engaged in tourist trade and

constitution of the Tourism Development Board:
1. Establishment and constitution of 'Tourism Development Board' - advisory to
government to lay down policy guidelines, publicize Himachal as an attractive
tourist destination, undertake improvement in the tourist areas, undertake
HP Tourism income generating projects, provide assistance to DoT, Tourism dev. councils,
Development and etc., engage in human resource development
Registration Act, 2. Establishment and constitution of 'Tourism Development Council' - providing
2002 and maintaining tourism related services, assistance to local body in
maintaining the sanitation and infrastructural facilities, regulation of
construction, expansion, maintenance and operation, preparation of 'Tourism
Master Plan'
3. Registration of tourism units, travel agents, guides and adventure sports
operators
Application for aero sports operation during ensuring season; registration and
qualification of operator for Aero sports; Registration and Qualifications of the
HP Aero Sports Pilot /Guide /Instructor/ tandem Pilot; constitution of Technical committee and
Rules, 2004 'Regulatory Committee'; list of equipments required, medical and other facilities,
safety measures for operators, duties of the operator; classification of rapid
grading; collection of registration fees and user fee; Undertaking by participant
Application for river rafting operation during the ensuring season; Registration
and qualifications of operator; guide for river rafting; Establishment of the
Regulatory Committee and its function; list of equipments required for carrying
HP River Rafting
out operations; list of medical and other facilities to be available during
Rules, 2005
operation; safety measures for operators; Duties of the “operator on duty” and
other operators; Areas for river rafting; classification of rapid grading; collection
of registration fees and user fee; Undertaking by participant
Aims to make Tourism the prime engine of economic growth in the state by
positioning it as a leading global destination by the year 2020 by the following
strategies:
1. To establish Himachal Pradesh as a leading tourist destination in the country
and abroad;
2. To make tourism a prime engine for economic development and prosperity of
the State and as a major means for providing employment;
3. To encourage a strong and sustainable private sector participation in creation
HP Tourism
of tourism infrastructure especially through public private partnerships;
Policy, 2005
4. To promote sustainable tourism, which is not only environmentally
compatible but also leads to economic betterment of the rural people;
5. To attract quality tourist and to increase their stay in the State;
6. To safeguard the State’s natural and manmade heritage ;
7. To encourage civil societies & non-governmental organizations for promotion
& the conducting of tourism related activities;
8. To position Himachal Pradesh as a one stop destination for adventure
tourism;
Application for registration as a tourism unit, travel agent, guide, outdoor
HP Tourism photographer, adventure Sport Operator, Water Sports Centres, Aero-sports
Development and Centres/Institutes, House Boat, River Cruises, Motor Caravans, Amusement
Registration of Park/Theme Parks, Handicraft Village Complexes, Multiplexes etc, registration
Tourism Trade fee, issuance of Registration Certificate and its renewal, fixation of fair rates,
Rules, 2012. demands statistical data by tourism unit operators, standards for sanitation and
maintenance of hygiene and cleanliness
Aims to make Himachal Pradesh a leading Eco-tourism destination with Eco-
tourism attracting at least 10% of overall tourists visiting the State by the year
2030 through Institutional arrangements, creating awareness and capacity
building of the principal stakeholders, community involvement, coordination with
HP Ecotourism
partner departments, marketing, laying out important stakeholders and their
policy, 2017
functions, development and management of eco-tourism assets and new eco-
tourism sites through departmental mode and PPP, carrying out impact
assessment studies, research and 'do not disturb' practices, future policies for
existing sites and impact assessment studies and formation of 'Eco-club'
Vision: To make sustainable tourism one of the prime engines of socioeconomic
growth in the State by establishing it as a leading global sustainable tourism
destination by 2029.
Mission: To use sustainable tourism as a means to provide better employment
and greater business opportunities for residents, to contribute to the protection
of the state's natural and cultural heritage and to ensure the long-term prosperity
and good quality of life to future generations in Himachal Pradesh by ensuring
HP Sustainable the following:
Tourism 1. To establish Himachal Pradesh as a global brand and sub-brands in domestic
Development and international markets
Policy, 2013 2. To ensure sustainable tourism which primarily benefits host communities and
supports natural and cultural-heritage preservation
3. To ensure visitor's high quality experience and contribution to the
safeguarding of the States destinations
4. To create an enabling environment for investment and private sector
development
5. To build capacity and develop quality human resources in sustainable tourism
and state-of-the-art hospitality
On the basis of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India “Incredible India Bed
and Breakfast scheme, this scheme aims to provide comfortable Home Stay
facilities of standardized world class services to the tourists, and to supplement
the availability of accommodation in the rural tourist destinations. The basic idea
is to provide a clean and affordable place for foreigners and domestic tourists
alike including an opportunity for foreign tourists to stay with Himachali families
HP Homestay
to experience Himachali customs and traditions and relish authentic
Scheme 2008
Indian/Himachali cuisine. Following are the objectives of the scheme:
1. Broaden the stake holder’s base for tourism in the State;
2. Take tourism to the rural and interior areas of the State;
3. Decongest the Urban areas, which cannot support any further tourism load;
4. Provide employment and economic values in the interior areas;
5. The activity shall be ecologically sustainable.
4. TOURISM SCENARIO
Tourism has, for long, played an essential role (directly and indirectly) in socioeconomic upliftment of
numerous communities all around the world. It has been widely accepted as a key contributor in various
development forms.
4.1 GLOBAL LEVEL SCENARIO

UNWTO estimates that worldwide international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased 6% to 1.4
billion in 2018, clearly above the 3.7% growth registered in the global economy. In relative terms, the
Middle East (+10%), Africa (+7%), Asia and the Pacific and Europe (both at +6%) led growth in 2018.
Arrivals to the Americas were below the world average (+3%). Asia and the Pacific hosted a total of 343
million international tourists in 2018. Arrivals in South-East Asia grew 7%, followed by North-East Asia
(+6%) and South Asia (+5%).2 UNWTO’s long-term forecast published in 2010 predicted the 1.4 billion
mark of international tourist arrivals for 2020. Yet stronger economic growth, more affordable air travel,
technological changes, new businesses models and greater visa facilitation around the word have
accelerated growth in recent years.
Based on current trends, economic prospects and the UNWTO Confidence Index, UNWTO forecasts
international arrivals to grow 3% to 4% next year, more in line with historic growth trends. The stability of
fuel prices tends to translate into affordable air travel while air connectivity continues to improve in many
destinations, facilitating the diversification of source markets. Trends also show strong outbound travel
from emerging markets, especially India and Russia but also from smaller Asian and Arab source markets.
4.2 NATIONAL LEVEL SCENARIO

India has a diverse portfolio of endemic tourism products – adventure, ecotourism, spiritual, education,
health and wellness, sports, MICE, film, rural and community based tourism etc. India ranked 26th in
World Tourist Arrivals with a share of 1.17%, and ranked 13th in World Tourism Receipts with a share of
2.05% in the year 2018. Within Asia and the Pacific, India ranked 7th both in World Tourist Arrivals (4.81%
2
International Tourism Results 2018 & Outlook 2019, UNWTO
share) and World Tourism Receipts (7.01% share).3 Favorable economic environment, enhanced
connectivity and visa facilitation are amongst the major drivers of growth. India’s Tourism Policy
championed through the “Incredible India” campaign has helped outperform the global tourism industry
in terms of growth in number of arrivals and even revenue generation. Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in
India during 2017 were 10.04 million with a growth of 14% over 2016. Foreign Exchange Earnings through
Tourism (FEEs) during 2017 were estimated at USD 27.31 Billion with a growth of 19.1% over 2016.
Domestic tourist visits to all States/ UTs were 1,652.49 million with a growth rate of 2.3% over previous
year.4
Source: World Travel & Tourism Council 2019
As per WTTC – India Benchmarking Report 2017, Travel and Tourism has generated a total contribution
of USD 209 billion i.e. 9.6% share of India’s GDP in 2016. Travel and Tourism industry in India is estimated
to sustain a total of 40.3 million i.e. 9.3% of the direct, indirect and induced jobs in India in 2016. For every
USD 1 million in Travel and Tourism spending, 407 jobs are supported.
The Union Budget 2019-20 allocated Rs. 1106 Crores towards Integrated Development of Tourist Circuits
around specific themes (Swadesh Darshan) and Rs. 160.5 Crores towards Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and
3
India Tourism Statistics at a Glance 2018, Market Research Division, Ministry of Tourism, GoI
4
India Tourism Statistics at a Glance 2018, Market Research Division, Ministry of Tourism, GoI
Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) Schemes. An additional budget of Rs. 181.48 Crores
was allocated for other support to tourist infrastructure development. Further, Rs. 506.23 Crore was
allocated for promotion and publicity, and Rs. 120.89 Crores for training and skill development. Including
Rs. 114.10 Crore for Centre’s establishment expenditure, a total of Rs. 2189.22 Crores were allocated
towards tourism development in the country through various central level schemes and projects.
The tourism sector in the country has been experiencing huge deficit in quality human resources. Ministry
of Tourism extends Central Financial Assistance to expand and upgrade existing Institutes of Hotel
Management (IHMs), Food Craft Institutes (FCIs), Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management
(IITTM), National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT), National Institute of
Water Sports (NIWS) and also to set up new institutes such as Institutes of Hotel Management (IHM) and
Food Craft Institutes (FCI) so as to meet the requirements of trained manpower in the tourism industry
and the funds allocated under the scheme are utilized for this purpose.
The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has launched a major programme, titled ‘Hunar Se Rozgar Tak’, to train
youth who are minimum 8th pass and in the age group of 18 to 28 years. The programme is intended to
meet the skilled manpower requirement of the Sector, as also to reach out to the poor in the society to
give them employable skills. A National Programme of Skill Testing and Certification has also been
launched to test and certify the Skills of the existing service providers.
To augment the inventory of quality hotel rooms for tourism promotion, the ‘Incentive to Accommodation
Infrastructure’ scheme has been launched for providing subsidy for construction of budget hotel
accommodation.
Overseas Promotion and Publicity including Market Development Assistance: The objective of this
program is to position India globally as the most favored destination. Vigorous publicity and marketing
campaigns are initiated under this scheme. The Ministry has been working on a two-pronged strategy for
marketing of brand Incredible India. Promotional activities in some of the markets such as Spain, China,
France, etc. are undertaken in vernacular languages for a wider and targeted reach and to establish
representative offices of the Ministry in new markets.
Under the scheme ‘Domestic Promotion and Publicity including Market Development Assistance’, various
activities for promotion of domestic tourism and spread of social awareness messages are undertaken.
Campaigns are being launched in electronic and print media in India to promote important tourist
products of the country.
4.3 STATE LEVEL SCENARIO

The Himalayan region has for long been a popular destination for tourists and tourism is an important
source of income for this region. Himachal Pradesh offers a rare conglomerate of ecotourism, pilgrimage,
adventure, culture, heritage, leisure and wilderness. Tourism in Himachal Pradesh comprises of more than
96% domestic tourists and rest of them being foreign tourists. More than 80% of the domestic tourists
visiting Himachal Pradesh, come from neighboring States/ UTs such as Punjab, Haryana, Delhi,
Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and about 10-12% belong to Himachal Pradesh itself. UK, USA, Israel, Germany
and Australia are the top 5 origin countries amongst others from where the foreign tourists come to visit
Himachal Pradesh. About 25% of the FTAs belong to UK alone.
Growth Rate increased from 9.31% in 1998 to 10.52% in 2008 but decreased to 6.24% in 2017. At district
levels, Kullu received the maximum i.e. 3.86 million (19.72%) of the total tourist arrivals in the state with
3.73 million being the domestic tourists.5 Tourism sector contributed about 6.6% to the state GDP during
2017-18.6 The number of jobs attributable to tourism related industries in Himachal Pradesh were about
4 Lakh for 2009-10 which is 14% of the total jobs (employees and self- employed, excluding casual labor)
in the State as against the all India average of 8%.7
Peak tourism season in Himachal Pradesh is summer- April to June. During 2017, maximum share of
tourists arrived in the month of June (11.14 %) which also coincides with the summer vacations of schools
and colleges. Next busiest season is autumn- September (10.57%) and October (10.36%) months when
weather is pleasant as monsoon has ended and winter is yet to start. Winter Season that spreads over 4
months (November to February) receives 20-25% of annual tourists.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) was established in 1972 to promote
tourism in the state. Ever since its establishment the Corporation has acted as a catalyst, trendsetter and
a prime mover for the promotion of tourism in Himachal Pradesh. Tourism Industry in Himachal Pradesh
has been given very high priority and the Government has developed appropriate infrastructure for its
development which includes public utility services, roads, communication network, airports, transport
facilities, water supply and civic amenities etc.
Following are some of the projects being undertaken in Himachal Pradesh:
1. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing loan assistance worth USD 95.16 million under
Tranche-I & Tranche-III of ‘INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT PROGRAMME FOR
TOURISM (IDIPT-HP)’. There are 20 sub-projects under Tranche- I and 15 under Tranche-III.
2. Tourism department is constructing wayside amenities at the cost of Rs. 1275.90 Lakh at 28 places
in the state under ‘SHIVALIK AND DHAULADHAR CIRCUIT’ funded by Ministry of Tourism, GoI.
3. Ministry of Tourism, GoI has sanctioned Rs. 9976.05 Lakhs under ‘INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF
HIMALAYAN CIRCUIT IN HP’ under which 14 works/ schemes are being undertaken.
4. As on March 2016, HPTDC has completed construction and renovation works of 60 sites in various
districts of the state, with repair and renovation of Himachal Sadan/ Bhwan at New Delhi and
Chandigarh. Further, 50 works/ projects are in progress.
5. Under Centrally Sponsored ‘SWADESH DARSHAN’ Scheme, the State Department of Tourism has
submitted project worth Rs. 100.00 Crore to strengthen the tourist infrastructure which are likely
to be sanctioned by Ministry of Tourism, GoI in the near future.
5
HPTDC (Mar, 2016) “Consultant for Tourist Statistics, Himachal Pradesh”, Department of Tourism and Civil
Aviation, GoHP
6
Economic Survey of HP (2017-18), Department of Economics and Statistics, GoHP
7
Preparation of Tourism Satellite Accounts for Himachal Pradesh, TERI 2013
5. KULLU- TOURISM SCENARIO
Kullu district offers a diverse range of tourist attractions such as adventure and ecotourism in river valleys
of Beas, Parvati and Tirthan, mountain ranges, and forests; niche tourism in the local villages, grasslands
and orchards; health and wellness tourism; and religious, spiritual, heritage and cultural tourism sites and
events. The region is home to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site Great Himalayan National Park;
ASI protected temples of Jagatsukh, Naggar, Bajaura and Manali; heritage castle at Naggar; Larji lake; high
altitude passes and peaks of Zanskar and Pir Panjal Ranges; and glacial rivers and streams flowing down
its valleys.
During the year 2017, Kullu district received an annual footfall of 3,865,101 tourists, out of which
3,732,044 were domestic visitors and 133,057 were foreign tourists. It is the second highest grossing
tourism destination, after Kangra, in terms of tourist arrivals.
Mountain Tourism
Mountain tourism is the type of tourism experienced at high altitude area; referred as hill station, with
natural attraction in form of scenic landscape, favorable climate and nature based tourism opportunities.
Primary survey shows around 70% of total tourists in the State targets hill station for leisure and
recreational activities. Leisure tourist is the biggest segment both among domestic and international
tourist. Mountain tourism caters mainly leisure tourists and corporate tourists and act as gateway for
other segment of tourist. There are two famous hill stations in the State- Shimla and Manali.
Kullu has a variety of mountain tourism destinations nested in the Eastern Pir Panjal Range and river
valleys of Beas, Parvati, Sainj and Tirthan. These mountains are laiden with the ecologically rich protected
forests such as Great Himalayan National Park, Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary, Manali
National Park, Manali Wildlife Sanctuary and Pin Valley National Park where one can experience the flora
and fauna in its pristine glory. The rivers here are gushing with glacial waters and enhance the splendour
to another level. The mountains of Kullu provide the tourist with an opportunity to engage in a variety of
land, air, water and snow based tourism activities such as river rafting, trekking, mountaineering, angling,
camping, paragliding, skiing etc. Domestic as well as foreign tourist from all around the world come to
Kullu to surrender themselves to these mighty mountains. The villages of Sharchi, Shoja, Gushaini,
Bagasarahan, Tosh, Kasol and Malana are some of the oldest communities with unique cultural values,
customs and traditions which are particularly attractive to the visitors. Tourism growth has led to
saturation in some areas like Manali and Manikaran but there are lesser explored destinations in Sainj and
Tirthan Valley which surprise the tourists with their unscathed beauty.
Snow Tourism
Snow cover plays an important role for the mountain environment, representing a living area for some
species, a huge water storage function, and represents the primary resource for winter tourism. Winter
tourism is a tourism activities like snow sports, glacier walking, snow climbing, angling in snow, walking in
winter trails, relishing snow fall etc. These activities are season dependent and are in the month of
winters, at higher altitudes.
Kullu is well known in India as a year- around snow tourism destination where one can find snowclad
peaks and passes even in hot summer months. The Eastern Pir Panjal Range is covered in snow throughout
the year while places like Tosh, Kasol, Jalori Pass and Bagasarahan witness heavy snowfall during winters.
Domestic and Foreign tourists alike travel long distances to enjoy snow tourism in Manali. One can indulge
in snow sports and adventure activities like skiing, skating, snowboarding at Solang Valley or just enjoy
playing in the snow and make sculptures at Rohtang Pass. Global Warming and climate change is affecting
the length of snow season of Himalayan Glaciers but currently, there is no system in place to predict these
changes and its affect. The snow season in Parvati, Sainj and Tirthan Valley is short and slightly
unpredictable, but December- January are potential seasons to explore snow tourism.
Water Tourism
Kullu is home to many river valleys such as Beas, Parvati, Sainj and Tirthan which are fed with glacial waters
through natural streams and channels. Tourists can engage in water sports and adventure activities like
white water rafting, river crossing, zip lining, angling and camping along the banks. There are waterfalls
like Jibhi, Tosh, Bagasarahan and many more on the way from Manali to Rohtang Pass such as Rhala, Rani
Naala, Jogini, Rozy and Sagu. These waterfalls cascade down the mountains and form a pool at the base
where one can relax and enjoy. Lakes of Dashaur, Bhrigu and Sareolsar are covered in snow during winters
and snowy water during summers where tourists can reach after a scenic hike. Tourists from India as well
as other parts of the world come to Kullu to enjoy the Himalayan waters. These water bodies are an
integral part of daily life of the local community and source of drinking water and power supply for many.
Rivers like Beas, Parvati and Sainj are regulated by Centre due to dams built up on them while Tirthan
River is protected by the state regulations. Dams also provide protection to the river and dependent
communities from flooding. Water quality of the rivers is maintained by the self- cleansing velocity
whereas lakes are maintained by the local community. Pollution from major urban centers like Manali,
Kullu, Bhuntar and Banjar needs to be checked before it deteriorates the water bodies.
Religious Tourism
Religious tourism is a form of tourism, whereby people of faith travel individually or in groups for
pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure (fellowship) purposes at pilgrimage sites. Pilgrimage sites in religious
tourism can include natural environment like river Ganges, Himalayas, or a part of built environment like
temples, Gurudwaras and Mosques. Festivals with religious association are also classified as religious
tourism attraction. The broad classification of Religion based attraction are- Natural Phenomena (sacred
lakes, mountains, island, groves), buildings and sites originally constructed for religious purpose, buildings
with religious theme, special events with the religious significance held at non- religious sites, and sacred
sites associated with historic happening.
Kullu is home to various temples, monasteries and gurudwaras making it a centre of diverse ethnicity and
culture. Srikhand Mahadev Yatra is one of the world famous Hindu pilgrimage and Manikaran Sahib
Gurudwara is abode of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Himself. The Monasteries are shrine of Mahatama Buddha
and holy to many Tibetan and other Himalayan Buddhists. The temples of deities such as Shandilya Rishi,
Shringa Rishi, Lomas Rishi and Vyas Rishi are made in Kath- Kuni style of architecture and hold high
importance amongst the locals. Some of these temples are believed to exist since mythological and pre-
historic times and unique rituals are performed there. International level fairs such as Dushehra of Kullu
and State level fairs such as that of Hadimba Devi Temple are celebrated here with great enthusiasm.
Some of the places have government registered Trust while some are managed locally by the Panchayat
and community members. Hadimba Devi Temple of Manali, Gauri Shankar Temple of Naggar, Shiv Temple
of Jagatsukh, and Basheshwar Mahadev Temple of Bajaura are some of the temples in Kullu which have
been imparted National Importance by ASI. Tourists from India and abroad come here in search of
religious fulfilment and spiritual contentment.
Heritage & Culture Tourism

Hadimba Devi Temple of Manali, Gauri Shankar Temple of Naggar, Shiv Temple of Jagatsukh, and
Basheshwar Mahadev Temple of Bajaura are ASI Protected National Monuments in Kullu. These temples
are believed to exist from mythological and pre- historic times. Other than these, Vashisht Temple,
Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art, Naggar Castle, Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and Museum, and
Uruswati Himalayan Folf Art Museum are some of the places which have very rich heritage and cultural
values. The structures and art displayed in the galleries and museums is conserved and protected in line
with their original themes. The fair of Hadimba Devi Temple, Manali is a grand event where people from
all around the district come with their deities to participate. These places are also marketed by the Central
and State Tourism Departments in their publications and advertisements at International, National and
Local forum. While locals come to the temples with religious purpose, tourists from other parts of India
and abroad come to these places for spiritual fulfilment and knowledge of Himachali heritage and culture.
Commercial & Recreational Tourism
Kullu is a center for commercial and recreational tourism among the domestic as well as foreign tourists.
Dhalpur Mall Road in Kullu and Manali Mall Road have numerous markets lined with shops offering wide
range of Kullvi handlooms and handicrafts. The markets are also popular among tourists for taking an
evening stroll and eye the unique products displayed in the shops and stalls. Manali Mall Road has been
pedestrianized and a footpath has been built along Dhalpur Mall Road to enhance the tourists’ experience.
Old Manali is lined with cafes and restaurants along the road leading to Manu Temple. These cafes and
restaurants serve a variety of delicacies, Israeli and Tibetan being some of the famous ones. The Nature
Park of Babeli along river Beas is a popular stop over for tourists headed to Manali. The ground of
Bagasarahan is a huge green pasture surrounded by mountains dotted with small houses and hutments.
It is an ideal spot for picnic and other socio- cultural and recreational activities among locals as well as
tourists. The Castle of Naggar is a Heritage Hotel and offers the tourists to have a glimpse of the opulent
lifestyle of the royal families of Himachal. MICE activities can also be conducted at this Hotel. Kullu and
Manali being the major urban centers with excellent connectivity, also have immense potential for MICE
tourism. To enhance the tourists’ experience, it is important to maintain the green cover and improve the
walkability of these markets and parks.
Agro Tourism
The concept of agro tourism is a direct expansion of ecotourism, and rural tourism, which encourages
visitors to experience agricultural life at first hand. Agro tourism needs strong support from small
communities and rural people. Agro tourism gives the benefits of sustainable development to the rural
areas. The agriculture sector includes food crops, horticulture, plantation, forestry, fishery, and animal
husbandry. All these sectors can be used to develop agro tourism in the state. Benefits of Agro tourism
are
(1) Educating people or society about agriculture and contribute to local economy.
(2) Lessening urbanization because people have been able to get job and earnings from agro tourism,
(3) Promotion for local product, regional marketing effort, create value added and direct-marketing and
stimulate economic activity as well as give benefit to society where agro-tourism was developed.
Kullu has rich agro climatic conditions that enable flourishing of Agro tourism in the district.
Eco- Tourism
Eco-tourism is a tourism activity involving venturing into ecologically and culturally sensitive areas in such
a way so that there is minimal or no impacts on the surroundings. In the state about 2/3rd of total
geographical area is designated as forests, out of which about 12% area is under Protected Area Network.
All these areas are dotted with scattered presence of villages and hamlets. To benefit the maximum
number of people in the state through eco-tourism, it is envisaged to encompass various treks, which
have potential to provide insights into the cultural and ecological diversity of the state. The State also has
32 Wildlife Sanctuaries that can provide unique opportunities for observing nature in its pristine
conditions.
The Forest Department of HP has identified total 103 Eco- tourism sites in the reserved and protected
forests across the state. Kheerganga, Jibhi, Solang, Bijli Mahadev, Shairopa and Kasol in Kullu are some of
them. The Forest Rest Houses at these places are being utilized as tourism accommodation. The natural
profile has been conserved as such and tourism activities are being conducted making optimum use of
the ecological setting. The buildings are made from local stone and wood. Local community is dependent
upon forest produce for timber and other products. Awareness, skill development and capacity building
programs are organized by Department of Tourism and other government agencies for the local
communities. Eco- tourism guidelines are available at the website of Eco- tourism Society of the
Department of Forest, HP. The mountains, valleys and rivers at these places create a very pleasant micro-
climate which is particularly attractive to the tourists. The flora and fauna in these forests has huge variety
of species, some of them being unique at state and national level such as the State Bird Western Tragopan,
former State Bird Himalayan Monal, Pine and Deodar trees, Ibex, Musk Deer, Pheasant and many more.
Eco- tourism activities such as mountaineering, rock climbing, river rafting, rappelling, river crossing,
angling, horse riding, bird watching, camping and trekking are some of the prevalent activities in these
areas. On the other hand, Rohtang Pass, Marhi and Solang Valley are destinations of mass tourism where
National Green Tribunal has imposed strict Regulations to manage the tourism activities in interest of the
environment. The biodiversity had started getting adversely affected in these areas due to saturation of
tourism.
Community based Tourism
The rural communities of Kullu have some unique socio- cultural values, customs and traditions which are
particularly attractive to the tourists. The Kullvi food, dresses and handlooms, Nati dance, religious rituals,
wedding customs, cultural events have an authenticity that may be utilized to draw tourists with the active
participation of the locals. People are highly dependent upon tourism as a secondary source of income
after agriculture, at numerous places like Marhi, Solang, Kasol, Tosh, Manikaran, Shairopa, Shoja and
Bagasarahan. Visitor- Resident interaction stimulates cultural exchange and a learning experience for both
the guests as well as the host community. Thus, tourism helps uplift the social, economic as well as
physical development levels of community at these places. Self- help groups and Community- based
organizations formed by local women and youth for social development and environmental protection
are quite active and influential. Government also organizes skill development and capacity building
programs for these people but in order to increase their competence in carrying out and managing tourism
operations, advanced trainings need to be organized.
Adventure Tourism
Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel to remote, exotic and possibly hostile
areas; it may be any tourist activity, including two of the following components: a physical activity and
engagement with nature. This may include activities such as mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping,
mountain biking, rafting, and zip-lining and rock climbing.
Kullu is a paradise for adventure enthusiasts with a variety of arenas such as rivers for white water rafting,
river crossing and angling; mountains for trekking, camping, mountaineering, rock climbing, cliff jumping,
zip lining, etc.; snowclad peaks and passes for skiing, skating, snowboarding and snow trekking; and air
based activities like paragliding, sky diving, bungee jumping etc. People from India and abroad alike come
to Kullu to get a dose of adrenaline rush. Adventure sports operators are certified and licensed with the
Department of Tourism. Guidelines for safe and secure operations of adventure sports issued by the State
Government are followed but some mis-happenings have happened during paragliding in Solang Valley
and River Rafting in Beas in the past. First Aid and rescue facilities are available only at well-established
destinations like those around Manali and Kullu. Area regulations are only present at popular destinations
like Solang Valley, Manali and Rohtang Pass, or areas under Forest Department. River rafting along Beas
is being carried out in an unorganized fashion and needs to be strictly regulated and monitored.
Event Tourism
Kullu hosts a number of socio- cultural and religious events of International, National and Regional level.
The Kullu Dushehra, celebrated in October every year, dates back to 17th Century. People from all around
the district gather at the Dhalpur ground with their deities to seek blessings of Lord Raghunath Ji. Kullu
Dushehra also holds the certificate of Guinness World Record for the largest Nati dance by 9,892 dancers,
in 2015. Manali is also famous for the Hadimba Devi Festival held in month of May to celebrate the
Goddess’s birthday. Winter Carnival and Summer Festival are held in Manali where people from Kullu and
surrounding districts come to sell their products to the tourists. The National Winter Skiing championship
is also organized here at Solang Valley every year. Recently in July, 2018 Indian Mountaineering Festival
was also organized by IMF to promote mountaineering and trekking expeditions in the state. Manikaran
is famous for the Gurupurab festival which is organized to celebrate the birthday of 1st Sikh Guru, Shri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery holds an event in the month of August every year
when His Highness Dhakpo Rinpochhe comes to give his valuable teachings and blessings to all. Another
famous event in the district is the Srikhand Mahadev (5,227m) Yatra which is organized in the month of
July for about 15 days. It is one of the five Kailash Parvats which are considered as the toughest pilgrimages
dedicated to Lord Shiva. Other than these, there are numerous local and regional level socio- cultural and
religious events held in this district.
Business meeting, convention and exhibition tourism are the domains of corporate tourism. MICE
(Meetings, incentive, Conventions and Events) is a high yield segment within the tourism industry.
Organisers of meetings, conventions and incentives constantly look for new and more unique destinations
to attract Clients. Being more unusual and exotic destination, Himachal Pradesh has excellent potential to
become a MICE destination and its high yield strategy towards tourism development also supports it.
Health & Wellness- Kullu
Medical Tourism is a term that describes overseas travel for medical, cosmetic or dental health care. In
medical tourism, citizens of highly developed nations bypass services offered in their own communities
and travel to less developed areas of the world for medical care.
Manikaran, Vashisht and Kheerganga are some of the tourism destinations in Kullu where hot water
springs emerge from the mountains and provide opportunities for health and wellness tourism.
Manikaran is famous for the hot water springs and holds high religious importance to Sikhs and Hindu
pilgrims alike. In the Manikaran Sahib gurudwara, pilgrims take a dip in the hot water pool before visiting
the Gurudwara. While there are no minerals such as Iron or Sulphur in the water, radioactivity is
responsible for its excellent healing properties. People from around the country and abroad visit the
springs to cure ailments such as muscular pains, arthritis, and rheumatics. The langar served in the
gurudwara is also made by boiling rice, pulses and vegetables in the spring water. The cave inside the
Gurudwara has hot rocks where one can enjoy a natural sauna. The springs of Kheerganga have sulphur
which give the water creamy-white color. After a long and tiring trek, tourists relax by taking a bath in the
natural hot springs, surrounded by beautiful green mountains. Vashisht is another famous destination for
health and wellness due to the hot water springs. There are numerous health centers and spa resorts in
Manali that offer water and hot stone therapy, Ayurveda massages and body treatments.
5.1 TOURISM DESTINATION CATALOUGING

A comprehensive list of tourism sites is prepared on the basis of secondary research of books, online
publications, government websites and portals, and news publications. Perspective Plan for Sustainable
Tourism Development in Himachal Pradesh, 2003; Consultant for Tourist Statistics (CTS) Himachal
Pradesh, 2016 and Tourism Infrastructure Sustainable Development Plan for HP, 2019 were also studied
for tourism destination cataloguing. Following are the major tourism attractions in Kullu District:
ARJUN GUFA (CAVE): The cave is situated near Prini village 1 km above the road. It is believed that
Arjun had meditated here during Pandva’s exile. This is good half day excursion with a view of the
mountains.
BAGASARAHAN: Bagasarahan is a small village located at about 28km from Nirmand town. The village
has a huge ground with lush green grass surrounded by tall mountains. The ground also has a temple
dedicated to the local deity. Tourism activities include camping, playing sports, holding socio- cultural
and religious events in the ground. Tourists can trek from here to Bathad through Bashleo Pass. The
route offers an opportunity to witness wild flora and fauna, with waterfalls cascading through the
wilderness.
BANJAR: Banjar is a small town located in Tirthan River valley. It offers mesmerizing views of the
mountains with the musical sound of the river. Chehni Kothi and Shringa Rishi temple are quite
popular among local and regional tourists.
BARSHAINI: 14km ahead of Manikaran, Barshaini is the last motorable point in Parvati Valley. The
trail to Kheerganga, Tosh and the trio of Kalga-Tulga-Pulga all start from here. There are beautiful
views of clouds over the valleys under the gaze of snowy peaks. Barshaini also has a temple dedicated
to Lord Rama.
BIJLI MAHADEV TEMPLE: It is situated at Mathan hill, surrounded by Parbati, Garsa, Bhunter and
Kullu valleys. One has to trek 3-4 km from parking place at Chansari village which is 25km away from
Kullu town. There is a motorable road to reach Bijli Mahadev from Naggar side via Jana Waterfall. It is
believed that the Shiv Linga shatters to pieces as the lightning strikes the 60 feet tall metal staff, and
the temple priest has to restore the Shiva linga every year.
DHAKPO SHEDRUPLING MONASTRY: This monastery is located at just 10km from Kullu along the left
banks of River Beas. Built in Indo- Tibetan style of architecture, with beautiful fresco paintings, this
monastery offers picturesque views. Every year in the month of August, His Highness Dhakpo
Rinpochhe comes here and gives his valuable teachings and blessings to all.
GUSHAINI: It is a small village located along the Tirthan River. It is the last motorable point for the
trek to GHNP. There are a lot of camping sites, guest houses and homestays along the river banks.
Tourists can engage in water adventure activities such as trout fishing, river crossing, zip lining; or just
relax while doing yoga and meditation by riverside.
JAGATSUKH: It is located 6 km to the south of Manali on the left bank of River Beas. The place is
popular for hosting some of the ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Sandhya Gayatri in
Shikhara Style. Lord Shiva temple is also an ASI Protected National Monument. Trekkers sometimes
also trek to Deo Tibba from here.
JALORI PASS: Situated at an altitude of 3223m above MSL, this place offers a serene ambience with a
variety of Himalayan flora and fauna. There is Jalori Mata Temple here amidst the lush green
meadows. One can trek to Serolsar Lake which is about 5km away. During winters, tourists can also
indulge in snow-based adventure sports and the slopes are quite suitable for skiing.
JIBHI WATERFALL: Jibhi is a small village in the Tirthan Valley which is famous for its waterfall. The area around
the waterfall has been landscaped and developed into a beautiful picnic spot for leisure and recreation for the
tourists.
KASOL: It is a small village along Parvati river, located at about 31km from Bhuntar and 5km from
Manikaran. It is called ‘Mini Israel of India’ due to strong Jewish history and heritage found here. The
market here offers a variety of Israeli theme products for tourists as souvenir. The street side cafes
and restaurants offer Israeli and other cuisine with a view of the river. Kasol is famous for its trekking
trails to Kheerganga, Sar Pass, and Pin Parbati Pass.
KULLU: Kullu is located in Beas River Valley. Rupi Palace here is the seat of the Royal Family of Kullu.
Raghunath Temple was built by Raja Jagat Singh to house the deity. Every year, an international level
Dussehra festival is celebrated here when Lord Raghunath is brought to the Dhalpur ground in chariot
and about 200 other deities from all around the district come to seek His blessings and also, bless the
King.
LARJI DAM: Larji is a small hamlet providing a spot for trout fishing. The dam is built on the
confluence of river Sainj & Tirthan, before they join the Beas. Mostly fishing enthusiasts frequent the
place.
MALANA: Little ahead of the Chanderkhani Pass lies the village Malana which is famous for the
temple of Jamlu and its distinct, social and cultural life. Malana is considered to be the oldest
democracy in the world. It is worthwhile to visit this village to see the unique style and social system
prevalent there.
MANALI: Manali is nestled in the Beas River Valley amidst the snowclad mountains of Zanskar and Pir
Panjal Ranges of Himalayas. It offers diverse attractions for every kind of tourist which positions it as
one of the most frequently visited tourist destination in the state. Hadimba Devi Temple is an ASI
protected national monument where famous Hadmiba Devi Festival is celebrated in the month of
May every year. The temple has also been featured in various movies. Himalayan Nyingmapa and
Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa are the two Monasteries in Manali. The Museum of Himachal Culture
and Folk Art exhibits rare articles of traditional values from all over Himachal.
Mall Road of Manali showcases attractive merchandise from Kullu and surrounding districts and
states. Winter Carnival and Summer Festival are organized here every year where locals from all
around the state gather to sell their products. Water sports such as rafting, river crossing, zip lining on
river Beas are also quite popular among tourists. Manali also serves as a basepoint for various treks
such as Beas Kund, Bhrigu Lake, Rohtang Pass, Hampta Pass, Kalihani Pass, Gwaru Pass, Deo Tibba and
Friendship Peak. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS)
provides certificate courses and trainings ranging from 2 to 28 days long programs.
MANIKARAN: Manikaran is famous for the gurudwara dedicated to the first Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Nanak
Dev Ji. There are temples of the Hindu Gods Rama, Krishna, and Vishnu. The place also has
mythologies associated with Lord Shiva and Parvati. The hot water spring at the Gurudwara is
believed to have curative powers and various Sikh and Hindu pilgrims, and tourists come here to take
a dip.
MARHI: It is a small hamlet with numerous roadside restaurants, located 16km before Rohtang Pass.
Tourists going to the Rohtang Pass, Lahaul and Leh, stop here and enjoy snacks while witnessing the
beautiful views of snow mountains. Marhi also has a small temple and a Stupa. During snow season,
tourists can indulge in soft adventure activities such as snow balling and sliding. Marhi is a basepoint
for trek to Rohtang Pass. On the way from Gulaba to Rohtang Pass, there are Rani Naala, Rhala fall,
Sagu waterfall, and Rozy waterfall.
NAGGAR: The Naggar castle, built around 1460 A.D by Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu, is a unique blend of
Western and Himalayan styles. It is now a Heritage Hotel run by HPTDC. The Castle has also featured
in Bollywood movie 'Jab We Met'. The Gauri Shankar Temple, an ASI protected National Monument,
built in 11th Century, is believed to be the last monument of the Gurjara-Pratihara traditions. Tripura
Sundari temple is a three-story pagoda style temple where a fair is organized in May each year.
Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, originally established as a research institute in 1928 by the
Russian Professor Nicolas Roerich, is themed on Russian Folk Art and houses various musical
instruments, stone carvings etc. The Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and Museum, founded in 1962,
features the artist's private room, and his work on the Himalayas.
NATURE PARK BABELI: Just 8km away from Kullu along Bhuntar- Manali National Highway, spread in
25 acres along River Beas, this Nature Park has been developed by Forest Department as an Eco-
tourism destination. The Park offers light adventure activities such as river crossing, zip lining,
boating, and rides and slides for children.
OLD MANALI: Manu Temple is the main attraction in Old Manali village It is also famous for its Diwali
and Faagli celebrations every year. Streets of Old Manali are also prominent amongst tourists for its
cafes and restaurants, as it offers various foreign cuisines.
ROHTANG PASS (3,978 M): It is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the
Himalayas around 51 km from Manali. The pass is open from May to November. Tourists can engage
in various thrilling activities like snow scooter, skiing and mountain biking. Trekkers can also trek
between Kullu Valley and Lahaul Valley through the Rohtang Pass.
SAINJ: Sainj is one of the three valleys of Great Himalayan National Park, from where the Sainj River
originates. It is a small town, famous for trout fishing and the traditional temples in the mountain
villages.
SHAI ROPA: Shairopa is located along Tirthan River. It is the basepoint for trekking through the
UNESCO World Heritage site i.e. Great Himalayan National Park. The Forest Range Office regulates the
tourism in the National Park and also actively engages the local community in providing tourism
services.
SHANGARH: Shangarh village is an unexplored destination, located near Sainj. It is known for its lush
green meadows and the Kath- Khuni style temple of the local deity Shangchul Maharaj. There is
another temple built in Kothi (tower) style which was recently reconstructed after it was burnt down
in a fire in 1998. A short hike leads to the cave of Jehar Devta and Lake dedicated to Rishi Pundrik.
SHARCHI VILLAGE: Sharchi is a small village located at a hilltop about 5km from Gushaini. The road
passes through deodar trees, leading to lush green meadows at the top. The village has beautiful
traditional style houses surrounding a temple dedicated to local deity where an annual event is
celebrated. At a short hike from Sharchi, lies another village Jamala, and Lambri Top at an altitude of
3600m where tourists can camp amidst the meadows.
SHOJA: Shoja in Inner Seraj is close to the Jalori Pass. An unspoilt location overlooking meadows and
tall snow-capped ranges, Shoja is 69 km from Kullu via Aut. The Raghupur Fort and Dough Thatch, a
grassy meadow very close to Shoja is worth visiting.
SOLANG VALLEY (OR NALA): It is about 14km away to the North- West of Manali. It is popular
amongst tourists for adventure sports such as parachuting, paragliding, bungee jumping, horse riding,
ATV ride, skating, skiing and zorbing etc. It is also the basepoint for trek to Friendship Peak. ABVIMAS
Skiing Center is also located here. The National Winter Skiing championship is also organized here.
The region also offers cable car ride to the top of the valley. Anjani Mahadev Shiv Linga, formed by
solidification of glacier during winter, is located at a hill top about 2 km from Solang. It can be reached
by horse or trekking.
TOSH: Tosh is a quaint village nestled in the lush green hills juxtaposed against snowclad peaks of
Parvati Valley. Tosh River emerges from Tosh glacier and meets Parvati River at Pulga. At a trek of
about 3km from the village is a beautiful waterfall. Tosh is also the basepoint for trek to Kheerganga
and quite popular among the backpackers. The cafes here offer mouth- watering European and Indian
food.
VASHISHT: Vashisht village is 6 km from Manali at the left bank of Beas River. Vashisht temple built in
traditional Kath- Khuni style architecture is dedicated to Rishi Vashisht and is believed to be more
than 4000 year old. Inside the temple premise is sulphurous hot water spring bath which is believed
to have healing powers, which can cure many skin diseases and other infections. There are numerous
cafes, restaurants, and shops selling handlooms and handicrafts along the road leading to the temple.
VISHESHWAR MAHADEV TEMPLE: This temple, an ASI protected National Monument is located in
Bajaura, 15km away from Kullu along the National Highway. The temple is famous for its complex
stone carvings and houses a large ‘Yoni Lingam’ idol representing Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess
Parvati.
5.2 TREKKING TOURISM DESTINATIONS

Trekking in HP has long been a reputable activity in the country. Recently it has become widespread with
both expert mountaineers as well as amateur and experienced trekkers, the state has several treks,
ranging from a few days to those that take around 25 days. HP offers plenty of trekking trails to choose
from, with a variety of experiences, for the beginner to the experienced trekker, which presents an
opportunity to be a world class trekking destination. The policy interventions for Himachal Pradesh should
be framed, such that the tourism doesn’t affect the ecosystems. A robust database of the altitude,
gradient, various flora and fauna, and the trekking infrastructure along the treks in HP needs to be
maintained for better planning and management as well as for the convenience of the trekkers.
Appropriate measures for safety and security of trekkers and skill development of local communities need
to be carried out for strengthening the tourism services and trekking industry for enhancing the traveler’s
experience.
BEAS KUND Beas Kund lake (3,893m) trek starts from Solang Valley with the basepoint at
TREK; DHUNDI Dhundi and Bakarthach. The difficulty level is easy to moderate. The trek gains an
AND altitude of 1407m from Solang Valley to Beas Kund, covering a distance of about
BAKARTHACH 21km (to and fro) in 4 days. The trek is lined with ancient deodar trees, pine, birch
BASEPOINT and walnut trees, and grasslands with the tinkling sound of rivulets; and offers
majestic views of Mt Indrasen, Deo Tibba, Hanuman Tibba, Friendship Peak and
more peaks from the Pir Panjal range.
This trek starts from Gulaba (3,161m) which is 20km away from Manali. The trek
covers a distance of about 22km (to and fro) over a period of 4 days. Difficulty
level is moderate. The trek passes through lush green carpet of undulating
meadows lined with brown oak, cedar and birch trees; overlooked by snowy
BHRIGU LAKE peaks. The destination i.e. Bhrigu Lake (4,270 m) changes colours, shape and size
TREK; GULABA every week which makes it worth the trek. It is either frozen or blue surrounded
BASEPOINT by grass and alpine flowers.
The trek starts from Marhi (3360m) which is 35km away from Manali. It takes one
from Kullu Valley to Lahaul Valley through snowy trail over the Rohtang Pass
ROHTANG PASS (3980m). The views of various peaks of Pir Panjal Range and cold desert of Lahaul
TREK; MARHI are a delightful experience. The trek is about 20km long (to and fro) to be covered
BASEPOINT in 3 days. The trail is very difficult due to snow and unpredictable weather.
This trek starts from Jobra (2,987m) which is at 2 hours drive from Manali. Lying
at an elevation of about 4,268 meters, the Hampta Pass connects the Kullu valley
with Lahaul. The trek can be covered in about 6 days and difficulty level is
moderate. The trek passes through thick forest of walnut, oak and pine trees,
HAMPTA PASS alpine meadows criss-crossed by numerous small streams and several villages
TREK; JOBRA tucked in the mountains descending into the semi- arid hills of Lahaul with
BASEPOINT Chandra river flowing by.
This 75km long challenging trek starts from Setan village (2,700m) and goes
DEO TIBBA TREK; beyond Hampta Pass to Deo Tibba (6,001m). It offers expansive views of lush
CHIKKA green meadows, various rivulets and the River Ravi, glacial peaks, moraines and
BASEPOINT hanging cliffs. The trek can be completed in about 7 days.
The Kalihani Pass (4,800m) is the gateway from Manali to Bara Bhangal. The trek
starts from Lama Dugh (3,017m). The journey traverses through several other
high-altitude mountain passes, namely the Khanpari pass at 3,600 meters and
Thamsar Pass at 3,500 meters. The path winds through thick pine forests with
KALIHANI PASS; cedar and deodar trees, and views of Indrasan, Deo Tibba and peaks of Bara Shigri
LAMADUGH glacier. The Trek cuts through several hot water springs having medicinal value.
BASEPOINT This trek can be covered in about 7 days and is of moderate difficulty.
GWARU PASS The trek features two beautiful mountain pass-crossings at Tentu Pass and Gwaru
TREK; MANALI Pass. The trail winds through rivers, grasslands, mountain passes, moraine, glacier
BASEPOINT and snow. It is a 7- days long moderate to difficult trek.
FRIENDSHIP Friendship Peak (5,289m) trek offers a mix of Great Himalayan Ranges,
PEAK TREK; Dhauladhar Ranges and Pir Panjal Ranges. The trek starts from Bakarthatch
SOLANG VALLEY (3,500m) in Solang Valley. It is an easy, non- technical trek and can be covered in
BASEPOINT about 7 days.
Sar Pass (4,206m) trek starts from Grahan village above Kasol in Parvati Valley. It
SAR PASS; is an easy to moderate trek and can be completed in 5 days. The trek offers a
GRAHAN diverse experience to trekkers from dense forests, meadows, quaint villages, to
BASEPOINT snow-covered mountains.
The Trek commences from Naggar, which is about 21km away from Manali.
Chandrakhani Pass (3,600m) offers majestic views of Deo Tibba peak, Pir Panjal
and Parvati range of mountains. It is a moderate difficulty trek of about 5 days
long. The trek winds through various small villages such as Rumsu, Ganachalani,
CHANDRAKHANI Celanti, Dadru, Nagarvani and Malana which have a unique socio- cultural
PASS; NAGGAR character and old traditions. The trekking trip holds a strong mythological
BASEPOINT significance associated with Jamlu Devta.
The trek to Kheerganga (2,811 m) starts from Barshaini (2,213 m). One can also
start from Tosh village (2,400m) which is about 5km by road from Barshaini. It is
an easy trek and can be covered in three days. Trek winds through pine and
chestnut trees, and bubbling streams and waterfalls that end in Parvati river. The
trek also has religious importance as Lord Shiva is believed to have meditated
here for 3000 years. The sulphurous hot water spring here is believed to have
KHEERGANGA- healing powers, and a dip in it is perfect to relive the tiredness. Further, Buni Buni
BUNI BUNI PASS pass (3,349m) is at 4.8km from Kheerganga. This trek traverses through a dense
TREK; TOSH oak forest, maple, and some cobra lilies, zeromium, Juniper, birch and
BASEPOINT rhododendrons; with a view of snowcapped mountains.
This trek follows the Tirthan River from Gushaini (1,500m) till its source at Tirath
(4,000m), where water from an underground spring called Hanskund (4,800m)
flows down to meet other glacial streams. It also has religious value for the local
community. It is a 75km long difficult trek and can be covered in about 7 days.
During this trek, one can witness verdant meadows, wild flowers (including the
Bramh Kamal), views of snow-clad ranges and glaciers, chance to spot some wild
TIRATH TREK; animals such as Himalayan Blue Sheep, Ibex, Himalayan Black Bear, and birds
GUSHAINI including the Himalayan Monal, Western Tragopan, Pheasant, Griffon, Rock
BASEPOINT Bunting, Himalayan Snow cock, Snow Partridge and many more.
Serolsar lake is about 5km away from Jalori Mata Temple at Jalori Pass (also called
Jalori Jot in Pahari). It is a day hike and takes about 2 hours one way. The trail
passes through dense forest, abandoned huts, and small villages. Overlooking the
SEREOLSAR lake, is a temple dedicated to Mata Budhi Naagin. There is a belief that one would
TREK; JALORI not notice any leaf floating in the middle of the lake. On a clear day, the
JOT BASEPOINT transparent water and vibrant reflections offer a beautiful view.
The Siraj Valley Trek starts from Gadagushaini (2,285m) which is about 9km away
SIRAJ VALLEY from Banjar in Tirthan Valley. It is an easy trek and can be covered in 2 days. It
TREK; passes through small villages surrounded with coniferous trees and a view of
GADAGUSHAINI bleak white of the jagged snow peaks. Madhupur fort, Raghupur fort and Kunala
BASEPOINT thatch adorn the trek as it ends at Jalori Pass (3,200m).
Srikhand Mahadev (5,227m) is one of the five Kailash Parvat and toughest
pilgrimage in India, dedicated to Lord Shiva of Hindu mythology. It is a very
difficult trek with steep incline going through rough glaciers covers and rocky
SRIKHAND moraine path. It is open only for about 15 days in the month of July and is
MAHADEV regulated by local administration. The trek is about 75km long and takes 7-8 days
YATRA; JAON to complete. The basepoint is at Jaon Village in Nirmand Tehsil. The trek offers
VILLAGE breathtaking views of ranges of Kullu, Jorkandan and Rangrik ranges of Kinnaur
BASEPOINT and Hansbeshan and other surrounding peaks in the south east of Satluj river.
5.3 FAIRS & FESTIVALS
The people of Kullu district celebrate a good number of fairs and festivals round the year which
have, by and large, religious sanctity. Some of the important fairs and festivals held in the
district are briefly described below.
i. KULLU DUSSEHRA: Kullu Dussehra is different in certain ways from Dussehra celebrations
in the other parts of the country. It presents cultural ethos of the people and their deep
rooted religious beliefs which manifest during this festival with traditional songs, dances
and colorful dress. It begins on Vijay Dashmi and lasts for a week.
ii. PIPAL JATRA/ VASANTOTSAVA: The traditional name of Vasantotasava is Pipal Jatra or it
is also called Rai-ri-Jach. It takes place at Dhalpur, Kulul on 16th of Baisakh every year.
iii. SHAMSHI VIRSHU: This fair is held on 1st Baisakh (April 13) for one day in village Khokhan.
The fair is religious and seasonal. The legend connected with the fair is that he was moved
by the alluring beauties of the hill springs & used to dance at this place with his girl friends
who were daughters of Rishis and Munis. The local inhabitants also regard themselves as
the progeny of the daughters of those Rishis and Munis.
iv. MELA BHUNTAR: The fair is held from 1st Ashad maas (June-July) for 3 days in village
Bhunter. The fair is seasonal and religious. From this day, the use of food grains from the
newly harvested crops starts after cooked food offerings are made to the gods and then
the meal is shared by other relatives and friends. This is known as 'Tahoolikhana'.
v. SAINJ FAIR: This fair is held in Raila on 21st of Baisakh (April-May) for one day. The
significance and legend of the fair is religious and recreational. Idol of Devta
Laxminarayana is brought from Raila to Sainj. Thereafter, the fair starts with folk dances
and songs rhythmical with the beat of drums and trumpets.
vi. LUHRI LAVI: This fair is held on 21st and 22nd of Karthik maas (October-November) for
two days and one night in village Dingidhar at Luhri. The significance of the fair is religious
and commercial. The fair is held in honour of Devta Jogeshwar and Khegro Maya. The
Devtas are worshipped. Nalti dances, mimicking, fold dance at night are performed.
vii. ANI FAIR: This fair is held from the 27th of Baisakh (April-May) for two days in village
Franali at Anni. In the fair, deities of the adjoining villages participate. The main
attractions of the fair are folk dances and other cultural programmes.
viii. DALASH FAIR: This fair is held in the month of Bhadon for three days and nights in village
Soidhar at Dalash. The fair is altogether religious and is held in the honour of Devta
Jogeshwar Mahadev of Dalash and Bungli Nag. The devtas are worshipped and natti
dances, cultural programmes and sport tournaments are performed.
ix. GANTER FAIR: This fair is held on 3rd of Paush maas (Dec.-Jan) for one day. The fair is
mainly religious and it is said that Rana and Thakurs then rulers of Kullu valley were at
logger heads and used to be constantly at war with each other. To commemorate the
battle, a ram used to be scarified. The practice of ram sacrifice is still in vogue.
x. GHATARANI FAIR: This fair is held on 4th of Chaitra maas (March - April) for two days in
village Dawra. The legend connected with the fair is that once mother Parvati asked Lord
Shiva to forget Rama, saying that even Rama could change.
xi. DHOONGRI FAIR: This fair is held on Jaishth 2nd (May-June) for three days at Dhoongri
(Manali) in the memory of Devi Hadimba who meditated at Dhoogri and was married to
Bhima, one of the five Pandavas.
xii. BHADOLI FAIR: This fair held once in three years, dates whereof is decided by the
Brahmins. The fair is held for four days. The fair is commemorated in the memory of Lord
Parshuram who is stated to have meditated here.
xiii. BUDDHI DIWALI: This fair is held from Maghar Amawas for three days in village Nirmand.
The fair associated with the battle of Mahabharata which is said to have started on that
day.
xiv. PHAGLI FAIR: The fair is held in the month of Phalgun and hence the name Phagli. The fair
is held to show the struggle of supremacy between the god and demon, in which
ultimately the god emerge victorious. This fair is also held to commemorate the event of
killing of demon by the god.
xv. BIRSHU FAIR: This fair is held in the month of Chaitra or Baisakh, throughout the district.
One day before the first day of the month, delicacies are cooked in the houses and sent
to all the relatives.
xvi. SHARHI JATRA: This fair is held near the temple of the Tripura Sundri, at the ground
named Sharhi. This fair is held for three days. The gathering here is always large. It takes
place in the month of 'Jyeshtha' (May-June).
6. DESTINATION PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
6.1 TOURISM PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING

The state of Himachal Pradesh derives its character and identity from the mighty Himalayan Mountains.
The word Himachal translates as “the home of eternal snows.” These mountains also determine the
state’s history, culture, heritage, and lifestyles. As a destination, Himachal Pradesh has a variety of tourism
products to offer. The identified tourism attractions were categorized into various typologies of tourism
on the basis of existing assets and modes of operation of tourism activities. The sites were then scored in
their respective categories on the basis of certain parameters of their level of performance as a tourism
attraction.
Tourism Performance: is a term coined to quantify and assess a destination’s attractiveness, the ability of
a site to pull target visitors, its performance in essence of tourism typology and its overall status as
compared to the benchmarks set for that particular category.
ASSETS BASED TOURISM
1. Mountain Tourism: For establishing an understanding of the mountain tourism in Kullu district, the
following parameters were considered to assess the status of various mountain based tourism sites.
 Tourist catchment of the Hilly/mountain area

 The history of the Hilly/mountain area
 The environmental richness of the mountain area
 The mountain communities
 Various activities under the mountain tourism
 The negative impact of the mountain tourism
 Disaster Profile of the mountains
2. Water Tourism: Following parameters have been considered to assess the status of the different water
tourism sites in Kullu:
 Geographical setting
 Level of protection
 Intensity of existing tourism activities
 Functional aspect of the water body
 Disaster profile of the water body
 Condition of the water body
3. Snow Tourism: The following parameters have been considered to assess the status of various snow
tourism sites in the district:
 Duration of the snowing season

 Predictions of the snow
 Tourism catchment area
 The intensity of tourist activities
 Climate change
4. Religious Tourism: Religious Tourism has its own peculiar characteristics and hence a set of parameters
listed below have been considered to assess the scale of tourism performance and the importance of each
destination as a religious tourism site:
 Tourist catchment of religious site

 Presence of Trust/ Organization for maintaining the religious site
 Presence of rituals/ festivals
 Establishment period of structure/ Deity
 The structural condition of the temple and maintenance
 Architectural and aesthetic appeal
5. Heritage & Culture Tourism: The following parameters have been used to assess such sites and come
up with a comparative tourism performance scale assessment for all related sites.
 Conservation of tourism sites and Level of theme adhered

 Establishment period of the structure
 Associated mythology and Presence of structure
 Presence of festivals and cultural fest
 Status of importance imparted by government agencies
 Level of marketing strategies
 Tourist catchment and awareness
 Availability of multi-media guides for tourist in site
 Level of intervention
6. Product Tourism: Identified criteria used for tourism performance analysis in these “product” specific
sites have been listed below –
 The scale of community involvement

 Buyer’s catchment/Diversification
 The uniqueness of the product
 The raw material used for the product
 Presence of training facilities/Institutions
 Community and livelihood benefits
 Presence of operation SHG’s and NGO’S
 Recognition of the product
 The demand for the product
 Level of marketing strategies
7. Commercial recreation tourism: Performance of sites with commercial recreation activities have been
analyzed based on the following parameters:
 History of the area

 Image of the area in the city/town
 Tourist catchment/Influx
 Diversification of asset in the area
 Walkability
 Presence of green spaces
 Traffic and mobility system
 MICE activities or leisure activities
8. Agro Tourism: Following parameters are considered for the evaluation of agro-tourism sites:
 History of the area

 Existing branding of the village
 Investments in agricultural business
 Level of Innovation in traditional farming and agriculture
 Secondary products for tourism diversification
 Agricultural merchandising
 Environmental Value
MODES OF OPERATION BASED TOURISM
9. Eco- Tourism: The parameters considered for the analysis of eco-tourism sites and determination of
their respective tourism performance values have been mentioned below:
 The condition of Existing Biodiversity

 Usage of Local Materials
 Alteration of Natural Profile for tourism activity
 Facilitation of tourist activities and awareness programs
 Presence of eco-tourists
 Microclimate influence on Tourism
 Eco Tourism Initiatives or Guidelines/ Regulations
 Ecological Value
 Variety of flora and fauna
 Eco-tourism licensing and management
 Regulations and zoning control on site
 The occurrence of natural phenomenon
 Level of intervention
10. Community Based Tourism (CBT): The destinations with community involvement in the tourism-
related activities have been analyzed with respect to tourism performance, based on the following
identified parameters, in terms of CBT operations:
 Community involvement in tourism activities

 Community’s livelihood
 Impact on the communities and local’s perception
 Presence of operational SHG’s and NGO’s
 Presence of capacity building initiatives in tourism operations
 Local community’s competence
 Awareness of Local community
11. Adventure Tourism: Adventure tourism sites were evaluated for level of performance and the status
of adventure activity operations based on the following parameters:
 Scale of adventure activities
 Safety measures in adventure activities
 The utilization of natural asset
 Presence of adventure tourist
 Code of Conduct for tourist
 Area regulations
 Adventure-tourism licensing and management
12. Film Tourism: The film tourism destinations were analyzed based on the following parameters:
 The catchment of a film shoot in the site

 Frequency of shooting
 Featuring a destination and tourist arrivals
13. Event Tourism: The following parameters were considered for scoring the performance of event
tourism in various sites:
 Fixed timings of the event

 Sponsor/Funding agencies of the event
 Diverse typology of events
 Nature of the events
 Availability of Pop-up infrastructure
14. Health & Wellness Tourism: The sites promoting health and wellness were analyzed for tourism
performance based on the following parameters:
 The geographical extent of Treatment center’s established

 Origin and Uniqueness of the treatment
 The seriousness of the treatment
 Variety of packages
 Diverse Spectrum of Health Tourism
15. Education Tourism: This tourism category is evaluated based on the two criteria’s as shown below:
 Attractions and events

 Catchment of students
 Resource specialists
3 shows excellent performance, 2 represents good performance and 1 shows average performance. One
destination can have multiple assets and modes of operation present, and thus ranked in multiple
categories.
Following table shows the performance of all the identified tourism destinations with respect to the
parameters listed above:
Community based tourism
Commercial recreation
Heritage & Culture
Health & Wellness

Eco- Tourism
Adventure
Education
Mountain
Religious
Product
Water
Event
Snow
Agro
Film
Sr.
No. Name
1 Arjun Gufa Prini 1 1 1 1
2 Bagasarahan 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1
3 Banjar 2 3 1 2 1 1 2
4 Barshaini 2 2 1 2 2 2
5 Bijli Mahadev Temple 2 1 2 2 2 1
Dhakpo Shedrupling
6 Monastry 3 2 1 2
7 Gushaini 2 2 1 3
8 Jagatsukh 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1
9 Jalori Pass 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1
10 Jibhi Waterfall 2 2 1 1 2
11 Kasol 2 3 1 3 2 2
12 Kullu 2 2 2 3 1 2 2 3
13 Larji Dam 1
14 Malana 2 2 1 3 1 2
15 Manali 2 2 1 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2
16 Manikaran 2 2 3 2 2 2 2
17 Marhi 2 2 2 2 2 2
18 Naggar 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
19 Nature Park Babeli 2 2
20 Old Manali 2 2 1 3 2 2 2 1
21 Rohtang Pass 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2
22 Sainj 2 1 1 1
23 Shai ropa 2 3 1 3 2 3
24 Shangarh 2 1 2 1 2 1
25 Sharchi village 2 1 2 1 3 1 1 1
26 Shoja 2 1 3 2
27 Solang Valley 2 2 2 2 2 3
28 Tosh 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2
29 Vashisht 2 3 2 2 1 2
Visheshwar Mahadev
30 Temple 2 2
Source: Tourism Infrastructure Sustainable Development Plan for HP, 2019
Kullu shows excellent performance in Mountain, Water, and Heritage and Culture Tourism being located
in the mountain ranges of Eastern Pir Panjal and Zanskar with Rivers like Beas, Parbati, Sainj and Tirthan
and their innumerable tributaries flowing through the valleys. The district also ranks Good in Snow with
snowclad peaks and passes, and in Religious Tourism being a unified hub of temples, gurudwaras and
monasteries of National, State and Local level importance. Kullu district is an upcoming destination for
Agro tourism but currently, this potential has not been utilized to its full capacity.
The valleys of Parbati, Sainj and Tirthan in Kullu district are a haven for adventure enthusiasts with
numerous options for trekking, angling, camping, mountaineering, and white water rafting in River Beas.
The local communities are actively engaged in the tourism sector and it is secondary source of income for
them. Health and Wellness tourism is currently performing average but with there is immense potential
to promote this category owing to the natural hot water springs. Dushehra Festival of Kullu, and Hadimba
Devi Festival and Winter Carnival of Manali are some of the famous events which attract large number of
tourists from India as well as abroad. Film tourism in the district is currently positioned as poor due to
shooting of only mainstream films at popular destinations like Rohtang Pass and Manali which are already
saturated.
6.2 INFRASTRUCTURE PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING

Tourism infrastructure is the physical element that is created or made to cater for visitors. It includes
components like airports, railways, roads, waterways, electricity, water supply, drainage, sewerage, solid
waste disposal systems and services. Moreover, facilities like accommodation, restaurants, recreational
facilities and shopping facilities also comes under the ambit of Tourism Infrastructure. Tourism business
encourages host government to make infrastructure improvements such as better roads, water, sewerage
system etc. all of which improves the quality of life of local population and enhance the tourist’s
experience. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has been making efforts to create
necessary infrastructure for healthy growth of tourism in the state.
This section discusses the availability and level of performance of physical, social and tourism
infrastructure at the identified tourist sites in Kullu District:
Accommodation
Overall Physical
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Overall Social
Urban center
Performance
Performance
Petrol pump
Sanitation
Drainage
Security
Signage
Market
Health
Power
Water
Trans
SWM
ATM
TIC
Sr.
No. Name
1 Arjun Gufa 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 2
2 Bagasarahan 3 1 3 1 3 0 0 1 2 0 1 3 1 1 0 0 1
3 Banjar 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 2
4 Barshaini 3 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1
5 Bijli Mahadev Temple 2 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1
Dhakpo Shedrupling
6 Monastry 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 1 2 1 0 3 0 0 1
7 Gushaini 3 0 2 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 2 3 2 2 2 2 2
8 Jagatsukh 3 1 2 2 3 0 1 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 1 3
9 Jalori Pass 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 1
10 Jibhi Waterfall 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 2 3 2 2 2
11 Kasol 2 1 2 1 2 0 0 1 3 0 3 3 2 3 0 0 2
12 Kullu 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
13 Larji Dam 3 0 2 2 3 2 1 2 2 0 3 3 0 3 0 0 1
14 Malana 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
15 Manali 3 1 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
16 Manikaran 2 1 2 2 3 2 1 2 3 0 3 3 2 3 0 0 2
17 Marhi 3 0 3 1 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1
18 Naggar 3 1 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 0 3 0 0 2
19 Nature Park Babeli 2 1 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 3
20 Old Manali 3 0 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
21 Rohtang Pass 3 0 3 1 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
22 Sainj 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 2
23 Shai ropa 3 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 3 2 2 2 2 2
24 Shangarh 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0
25 Sharchi village 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 3 0 2 0 0 1
26 Shoja 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 1 3 1 1 1
27 Solang Valley 3 1 3 1 3 3 1 2 0 0 3 3 1 1 1 1 1
28 Tosh 2 1 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
29 Vashisht 2 1 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Visheshwar Mahadev
30 Temple 3 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 3 3 3 1 3 3 0 0 2
Source: Tourism Infrastructure Sustainable Development Plan for HP, 2019
Overall Physical Infrastructure in the district is good in terms of physical infrastructure and average in
social infrastructure.
7. TOURISM ZONING
Kullu District has three tourism clusters namely Manali Cluster, Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster and Tirthan
Valley Cluster. The following section is an attempt to understand the existing tourism activities, future
potential, key issues and challenges, and propose recommendations based on the strengths and
opportunities. Marketable tourism packages have also been devised for each of the cluster with the
estimated cost for travel, accommodation, food and activities.
7.1 Manali Cluster
Brief description of cluster
The cluster is popular as snow tourism destination among domestic as well as foreign tourists as one can
experience snow here even in hot summer months of May- June. Rohtang Pass and other high altitude
peaks surrounding this cluster have snow all year around and during winters, the life stands still as the
local streets and markets of Manali are covered in snow and tourists can indulge in snow adventure
activities at the Solang Valley.
April to June and October to February is the best season to visit this cluster. The cluster is very popular
among all segments of tourists such as adventure lovers and backpackers as well as family and honeymoon
tourists. The cluster offers a wide range of land, air, water and snow based adventure activities; and other
tourism destinations like mall road, temples, monasteries, hot water spring and traditional villages tucked
in Himalayan ranges. There is a need to diversify the tourists to unexplored destinations to enhance the
tourist experience. The treks and expeditions to higher altitudes need to be promoted in the global
markets.
Fact file
Fact Sheet Manali Cluster

Manali
Old Manali
Rohtang Pass
Solang Valley
Tourism Attractions
Vashisht
Jagatsukh
Marhi
Arjun Gufa Prini
Beas Kund Trek; Dhundi and Bakarthach Basepoint
Bhrigu Lake Trek; Gulaba Basepoint
Rohtang Pass Trek; Marhi Basepoint
Hampta Pass Trek; Jobra Basepoint
Deo Tibba Trek; Chikka Basepoint
Kalihani Pass; Lamadugh Basepoint
Gwaru Pass Trek; Manali Basepoint
Trekking Tourism Friendship Peak Trek; Solang Valley Basepoint
Seed Manali
Manali- Solang Valley- Rohtang Pass
Loop
Manali- Jagatsukh
Environment Sensitivity Predominantly Medium sensitivity with a few highly sensitive area
Seismic Zone IV & V
Disaster vulnerability Flood prone area along River Beas
Moderate to Low sensitivity to Landslide
Major Roads NH- 3 (Jalandhar- Hamirpur- Mandi- Manali Road)
MDR- 29 (Bhuntar- Mohal Kullu- Naggar- Manali Road)
Broad gauge- Una (250km), Kalka (275km) & Chandigarh (310km)
Distance from Railways
Narrow gauge- Joginder Nagar (175km)
Bhuntar (KUU) Airport (50km)
Distance from Airport Chandigarh (IXC) Airport (310km)
Delhi (DEL) Airport (552km)
Community based Eco- tourism and Adventure tourism activities
including Air, Land, Water and Snow based Adventure Sports such
as Paragliding, Rafting, River Crossing, Zip Lining, Trekking, Camping,
Bird Watching, Horse Riding, ATV Ride, Snowboarding, Snow
Predominant Activity skating, Snow sailing, Skiing, Sledge Riding etc.
Religious, Socio- Cultural and Corporate Events
Bathing in Hot water springs; Yoga and Meditation
Strolling the markets lined with Kullvi Handlooms and Handicrafts
Filming in the snowbound mountains and river valleys
SWOC Analysis
STRENGTHS
 The seed, Manali is very well connected as it lies along NH- 3 and also has air connectivity through
Bhuntar Airport which is only 50km away. This cluster is the gateway to Lahaul, and Leh- Ladakh
in Kashmir which are highly popular destinations.
 This cluster offers a wide range of tourism assets and diverse modes of tourism operations which
make it a year round tourism destination.
 The cluster has a high tourist inflow and attracts diverse array of tourists belonging to various
geographic, socio- cultural and economic segments.
 The seed, Manali has basic physical and social infrastructure and serves the surrounding
settlements also.
 Tourist infrastructure such as information and interpretation centers, accommodation, shopping
areas, and information signage etc. are available and functioning in very good condition in Manali.
 Parking for tourist and local vehicles is available in Manali town at multiple places for very nominal
charges.
 The local community is actively engaged and highly dependent upon tourism sector as their
primary occupation. Manali also attracts migrants from surrounding towns, districts and states as
it offers ample job and business opportunities being a major tourism destination.
 Manali cluster is very well marketed at national and international level through various media
such as documentaries, movies, promotion blogs, articles, publications, and travel and trade
forum. The snowy peaks and passes, religious, heritage and cultural tourism destinations of this
cluster are known to travel enthusiasts all around the world.
WEAKNESSES
 Discharge of wastewater into natural streams and River Beas, is leading to degradation of water
quality for various towns and villages downstream.
 There is no means of Intermediate Public Transportation within the Manali town, forcing tourists
and locals to use private vehicles and rental taxis, leading to traffic congestion in the core city
areas.
 Old Manali Village is not regulated by the development control regulations of Town and Country
Planning. Thus, there are numerous cafes, restaurants, hotels, and guest houses etc. operating
from residential buildings.
 Some popular treks such as Hampta Pass, Bhrigu Lake and Beas Kund are getting overly crowded
and the pristine mountain ecology is getting adversely affected due to littering, unregulated camp
sites, lack of safety and security measures etc.
 Only a small part of Manali town is served by sewerage network and rest of the areas have to be
served by sewage suction trucks. The existing STP is under- capacity and facing resistance from
locals in immediate vicinity due to the foul smell, especially during summers.
 The existing solid waste dumping site of Manali now comes under the NHAI Highway expansion
project. An alternate site outside the city needs to be identified but land availability is an issue.
OPPORTUNITIES
 The national project of Bilaspur- Manali- Leh railways is of great strategic importance which will
give boost to tourism and development in Manali cluster. It will reduce the travel time from Delhi
to Manali significantly and also help tap the tourist potential from surrounding destinations like
Keylong and Leh.
 The road from Kiratpur to Kullu is being expanded to a 4- Lane highway and further 2- Lane from
Kullu to Manali, which will improve the connectivity and also reduce the travel time to this cluster.
 The Rohtang Tunnel, which is currently under construction and expected to open by 2020, will
provide all- weather road connectivity to Lahaul & Spiti Valley, enhancing the prospects of tourism
development manifolds. It will also obviate the need to travel to Rohtang Pass, reducing the traffic
and pollution problems.
 Rs. 100 Cr has been sanctioned for the development of new bus stand for Manali at the existing
Bus Parking. This will facilitate the movement and parking of public and private buses connecting
Manali.
 A new site for Helipad has been identified along Manali- Rohtang Pass Highway near Vashisht
Village. Heli- taxi services for tourists can reduce the traffic problems and help attract high value
low impact tourist to the cluster.
 Short term and recreational courses and trainings of mountaineering, skiing, water sports and
other activities may be provided at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied
Sports (ABVIMAS) to attract tourists seeking certificate experiences in adventure tourism.
 Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) issues permits and collects a fee for mountaineering,
rock climbing and trekking expeditions to high altitude peaks which include Deo Tibba and
Friendship Peak from this cluster. Such regulations may also be formulated for other treks through
state and local level administration.
 Development of basic infrastructure such as public toilets, solid waste management, safety and
rescue facilities, eating joints, campsites, and information signage along the trail, etc. at trekking
base points of Solang Valley, Gulaba and Marhi, within the carrying capacity limits, to help
regulate the trekking tourism and check the adverse impacts on environment arising due to lack
of infrastructure.
 Currently, the hot water springs in Vashisht Village are only inside the Vashisht Rishi & Ram
Temple premise. By identifying such springs outside the temple, health and wellness center may
be established to promote recreational and spiritual treatments also.
 The potential for Agro- tourism has not been realized in this cluster yet, due to availability of other
high revenue generating activities. There are numerous small villages hidden in the pristine hills
and valleys of this cluster, surrounded with farms and apple orchards. The socio- cultural and
religious traditions and values followed in these villages are unique. Homestays and guided village
tours may be promoted to offer the tourists an authentic experience of the Himachali life.
CHALLENGES
 To regulate the trekking trails and destinations based on carrying capacity, it is very important
that a permit is issued and trekking fee is collected from the trekkers and tourism operators, and
it is inspected at specific start and end points of the trek. Formulation of a regulatory body and
identifying specific inspection points is a challenge due to lack of a marked boundary.
 Old Manali & Vashisht Village having the Panchayat status lack the institutional, technical and
financial resources, and the basic physical infrastructure such as water supply, sanitation and
parking are inadequate. These villages can be merged into Manali town and given the Corporation
status to strengthen the infrastructure and development control regulations, and to further
enhance the tourist experience.
Proposed Interventions
 Traffic management & development of parking in Manali

 Development of mountaineering and trekking tourism basecamp with basic infrastructure at
Solang Valley
 Promotion and marketing of lesser explored treks such as Kalihani Pass, Gwaru Pass, Deo Tibba,
Hanuman Tibba, Indrasan and Friendship Peak.
 Installation of eco- friendly public toilets, dustbins and information signage at the campsites,
marking the trekking trails which can be operated and maintained through community
partnerships.
 Formulate regulations and impose permit fee for trekking tourism to limit the number of
trekkers based on carrying capacity recommendations and recover cost of maintaining the treks
and making infrastructure provisions.
 Formulation of development control regulations, especially for tourism related trade and
establishments in Old Manali and Vashisht villages, and other areas around Manali town.
Proposed Tourist Package

The cluster offers a perfect combination of a wide range of activities that include something for everyone
such as adventure activities for the youth, religious destinations for the senior citizens, or simply the
leisure and recreational activities for family tourists. The accommodation facilities range from pocket
friendly guest houses and homestays to luxury and premium category hotels, resorts and cottages in and
around Manali.
The packages currently being offered by the tour and travel operators are generally of 3 days duration
with additional days at Shimla and Chandigarh as per the tourists’ demand and choice. The activities
mainly include site seeing at Manali, Old Manali, Vashisht Village and a day full of adventure to the snowy
Solang Valley or Rohtang Pass depending upon the season. These packages range from Rs. 10,000 to Rs.
45,000 per person for the whole trip and also includes transportation from Delhi. The premium packages
also include flights from tourists’ origin. Any entry permits or tickets of adventure activities is additional
to this package cost. By promoting more activities and site seeing to the unexplored destination around
Manali such as hiking in Manali wildlife sanctuary, Parsha waterfall, Arjun Gufa at Prini and ASI temples at
Jagatsukh, the duration can be extended up to 5 days as detailed in the itinerary below.
Tourism
Promotion Areas Itinerary
Manali local site seeing- Hadimba Devi Temple, Museum of Himachal Culture and
Folk Art, Himalayan Nyingmapa Gompa, Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa, Van
Manali, Solang Vihar;
Valley, Rohtang Skiing, paragliding, horse riding, ATV ride and Ropeway Ride at Solang Valley;
Pass- 3 Days Zip lining at Kothi, and visit to Nehru Kund, Gulaba, Marhi and Rohtang Pass;
Visit to Club House/ Hadimba Adventure Park/ Him Valley Amusement Park (any
one); White water rafting in River Beas; Hiking through Manali Wildlife
Old Manali, Sancturay;
Vashisht Village, Visit to Parsha Waterfall; Manu Temple and relishing foreign cuisines at Old
Jagatsukh- 2 Days Manali; Hot water spring bath at Vashisht & Ram Temple; and Jagatsukh temples
Table: Tourist Package
Total Cost
Estimate Accommodation Food/
(Per person/day) Travel (Per person/ night) Activities Others
Package per person/ per person/ per person/
Duration Budget Premium day Budget Premium day day
5 Days 2750 8500 1000- 1500 750 5000 500- 1000 500- 1000
7.2 Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster

The Parvati and Kullu Valley cluster is home to numerous religious tourism destinations such as Dhakpo
Shedrupling Monastery, the ASI temples of Gauri Shankar at Naggar and Visheshwar Mahadev at Bajaura,
Raghunath Temple at Kullu, Bijli Mahadev Temple, heritage temples of Malana and Tosh, and historic
Gurudwara and temples of Manikaran.
Other than the religious destinations, the cluster also offers the adventure lovers an opportunity to
experience white water rafting in Beas River, Paragliding at Bijli Mahadev and trekking through the quaint
villages of Parvati Valley. Best time to visit this cluster is April to June and October to February as the
weather is not suitable during rainy season. There is a need to promote the unexplored destinations in
Naggar, orchard tourism in Katrain, and rural tourism and hiking to low altitude passes in Parvati Valley in
order to indulge tourists in more activities, enhance their experience and extend their duration of stay.
Fact file
Fact Sheet Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster

Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastry
Kasol
Manikaran
Kullu
Barshaini
Tourism attractions Bijli Mahadev Temple
Naggar
Visheshwar Mahadev Temple
Nature Park Babeli
Tosh
Malana
Sar Pass; Grahan Basepoint
Trekking Tourism Chandrakhani Pass; Naggar Basepoint
Kheerganga Trek; Tosh Basepoint
Seed Bhuntar & Manikaran
Bajaura-Bhuntar-Kullu
Loop
Naggar- Bhuntar- Manikaran
Low to Medium sensitivity along Kullu Valley
Environment Sensitivity
Highly sensitive Protected areas in Parvati Valley
Seismic Zone V
Disaster vulnerability Flood prone area along River Beas
Moderate to High sensitivity to Landslide
Incidences of Forest Fires in Kullu Valley
NH- 3 (Jalandhar- Hamirpur- Mandi- Manali Road)
Major Roads
MDR- 30 (Jia Manikaran Road)
Distance from Railways Broad Gauge- Una (205km); Kalka (228) & Chandigarh (251km)
Narrow Gauge- Joginder Nagar (117km)
Bhuntar (KUU) Airport
Community based land and water based Adventure tourism
Predominant Activity activities such as Rafting, River Crossing, Zip Lining, Trekking,
Camping, Bird Watching etc.
Religious and Socio- Cultural Events
Bathing in Hot water springs; Yoga and Meditation
SWOC Analysis
STRENGTHS
 The seed, Bhuntar is very well connected as it lies along NH- 3 and also has an airport with regular
flights to Chandigarh and Delhi, and other major cities.
 The seed, Manikaran lies on MDR- 30 and is well connected to Bhuntar. The proposals to upgrade
the MDR to State Highway is in the pipeline which will further improve the connectivity to this
cluster.
 This cluster is also well connected to the other clusters in Kullu district i.e. Manali Cluster and
Tirthan Valley Cluster by roadways.
 Bhuntar shows excellent performance in infrastructure as it has all the physical and social
infrastructure. Tourist Information center is also available at the Airport.
 Manikaran has all the basic physical and social infrastructure to serve the needs of tourists as well
as locals from surrounding settlements.
 The Cluster predominantly offers land and water based adventure tourism, and community based
tourism and the best season to visit is in the months of March to July, and then October to
November.
 The local communities are highly dependent upon tourism as it is their secondary source of
income after agriculture. In Parvati Valley, communities are mainly engaged in providing services
related to accommodation, travel, adventure tour, and food for the tourists.
 Manikaran Gurudwara is very well marketed at national and international level, especially
amongst the Sikh communities.
WEAKNESSES
 Tourist infrastructure such as information and interpretation center; and safety and rescue
facilities for trekking tourists going to Kheerganga- Buni Buni Pass and Pin Parvati Pass; are lacking
in Manikaran.
 The existing parking in Manikaran is provided by the Gurudwara Committee which is sufficient for
regular tourist inflow. But during peak season, and fairs and festivals, shortage of parking is
encountered leading to on- street parking and traffic congestion.
 The bus stand in Manikaran needs to be developed with improved traffic management and
parking facility.
 The road from Barshaini till Tosh is in a very dilapidated condition and public transportation is also
unavailable. This needs to be improved to attract tourists to Tosh Village.
 The adventure sports operators along Beas River from Bhuntar till Manali have put up their shacks
along the National Highway. The vehicles of the tourists and the operators are parked along the
highway in an unorganized manner. It not only reduces the quality of adventure experience for
the tourists but is also unsafe due to high traffic flow.
 The camping and water adventure activities currently being organized along Parvati River bank
are not regulated and monitored. The establishments and camping structures have been put up
right next to the river which is very unsafe and needs to be regulated.
 Wastewater from major urban centers such as Kullu and Bhuntar is being discharged into the river
Beas leading to water pollution.
 Basic physical infrastructure such as water supply, drainage, wastewater and solid waste
management, and parking facilities at villages such as Tosh, Jari and Chansari need to be improved
as they are base points for various other tourism destinations such as Kheerganga, Malana and
Bijli Mahadev Temple.
OPPORTUNITIES
 Currently Bhuntar is only the entry point or transit into Kullu District. Due to its well- connected
location, and proximity to various excellent and good performing tourism destinations, it may be
developed as a MICE tourism destination.
 The Naggar Castle which is also an HPTDC Hotel may be promoted as a destination for socio-
cultural and corporate events.
 Camping facilities along Parvati Valley have a variety of low to medium budget experiences but to
attract high value low impact tourists, luxury and premium camping and other accommodations
need to be promoted.
 Winter trekking in months of December- February may be promoted as the peaks and passes are
covered in snow.
 Kullu hosts an International level Dushehra Festival where people from all around the district bring
their presiding deities, and gather to celebrate the religious and socio- cultural traditions. It may
be further promoted as a tourism event at National level and showcase the Kullvi heritage and
culture.
 Bijli Mahadev Temple and Nature Park Babeli are excellent performing tourism destinations near
Kullu town which may be developed as adventure tourism destinations. This will also help attract
the tourists to Kullu, which currently has very low tourist inflow due to development of By-pass
on Bhuntar Manali Highway.
 Kheerganga is quite popular as an easy trekking tourism destination. Beyond Kheerganga, there
is Buni- Buni Pass and Pin Parvati Pass which may be promoted as unexplored trekking
destinations.
 The ASI temples of Naggar and Bajaura, Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery, and The Reorich Art
Gallery and Museum may be promoted as Heritage and Cultural tourism destinations at national
and international level.
 Other than the Manikaran Gurudwara and Kheerganga, there are numerous other hot water
springs on the hills of Parvati Valley which are not known to many. These may be identified and
developed as centers of recreational health and wellness tourism with yoga, meditation and spa
facilities.
CHALLENGES
 Due to lack of any regulations, the Kheerganga trek is getting crowded and leading to adverse
impacts on environment such as littering of waste along the trail, unregulated campsites, setting
up of illegal semi- permanent and permanent structures etc. Regulation becomes difficult without
any competent authority.
 Development of Tourist information and interpretation center at Manikaran

 Development of nature park and premium accommodation such as eco- resort, glamping
(glamorous camping), etc. in Kasol
 Development of basic physical infrastructure such as water supply, sanitation, power supply,
roads and pathways, parking facilities and street lighting etc. in villages of Parvati Valley
 Development of water adventure infrastructure such as Parking, toilet facilities, changing
room, jetty for river rafting at Babeli
 Development of Handicraft training center at Kullu
 Beautification of Dusshera ground and Dhalpur market in Kullu town
 Advanced training programs to strengthen the capacity and enhance the skills of the guides,
porters, cooks, homestay operators, adventure sports operators, and other tourism service
providers in villages of Parvati Valley.
 Promotion and marketing of lesser explored treks such as Rashol Pass, Shora Kundi Pass,
Khaul Galu Pass, Galu Pass and Sara Unga Pass.
 Installation of eco- friendly public toilets, dustbins and information signage at the campsites,
marking the trails to Kheerganga- Buni Buni Pass Trek, which can be operated and maintained
through community partnerships.
 Formulate regulations and impose permit fee for tourists going to Kheerganga- Buni Buni Pass
Trek to recover cost of maintaining the treks and making infrastructure provisions.
 Formulation of regulations for water sports adventure activities along Parvati & Beas Rivers
Currently, Bhuntar and Kullu are not on tourists’ itinerary and Parvati Valley also receives mainly two
segments of tourist i.e. Religious tourists to Manikaran and the youth attracted to the Israeli culture of
Kasol and Tosh villages. The packages offered by the tour and travel operators to Manali, sometimes also
include Kullu, Naggar and Manikaran in the itinerary with two additional days. The adventure enthusiasts
and youth usually have Kheerganga, Kasol, Malana and Tosh on their travel checklist and spend about 3
days. Tourists spend about Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000 in the cluster. By promoting more destinations and
activities, the duration of stay of the tourists in this cluster can be increased up to 5 days as detailed below.
Tourism
Promotion
Areas Itinerary
Kullu, Bijli Kullu local site seeing- Raghunath Temple, Dhalpur Market and Rupi Palace;
Mahadev Hiking, camping and paragliding at Bijli Mahadev Temple;
Temple, Babeli- Visit to Maa Sharvari Temple at Shaminallah, Nature Park at Babeli, White water
2 Days rafting & other adventure sports in River Beas;
Naggar local site seeing- The Castle, Gauri Shankar and Tripura Sundari Temple,
Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and Museum,
Naggar- 1 Day and Jana Waterfall; Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastry;
Temple trail of Bhuntar city; Visheshwar Mahadev temple at Bajaura;
Visit to Israeli market and camping in Kasol;
Bhuntar, Kasol- Local village tours and day hikes to Rashol Pass, Shora Kundi Pass, Khaul Galu Pass,
2 Day Galu Pass, Sara Unga Pass
Manikaran- 1 Manikaran local site seeing- Manikaran Saheb Gurudwara, Ramchandraji Temple,
Day Naina Bhagwati Temple and Shiv Temple, and hot water spring bath.
Total Cost
Estimate Accommodation Food/
(Per person/ day) Travel (Per person/ night) Activities Others
6 Days 2000 4600 1000- 1500 500 2000 200- 500 300- 600
7.3 Tirthan Valley Cluster

The cluster is famous for Trout angling and camping along Tirthan River, and trekking in Great Himalayan
National Park. The small villages nestled in this valley have traditional architectural buildings and cultural
values. The cluster caters to a very niche kind of tourist who want to spend time in the nature surrounded
with mountains and river, away from the urban life. Many researchers also visit the Great Himalayan
National Park to study wild flora and fauna.
Best time to visit this cluster is April to June and October to December. Angling, camping and trekking in
rainy and winter season is not suitable. There is a need to promote Great Himalayan National Park as an
adventure and ecotourism destination, and community based tourism in the local villages. The cluster
needs to be branded and marketed at global level as an ecotourism destination.
Fact file
Fact Sheet Tirthan Valley Cluster

Banjar
Shai ropa
Jalori Pass
Sharchi village
Tourism Attractions
Bagasarahan
Jibhi Waterfall
Gushaini
Shoja
Tirath Trek; Gushaini Basepoint
Sereolsar Trek; Jalori Jot Basepoint
Siraj Valley Trek; Gadagushaini Basepoint
Trekking Tourism Srikhand Mahadev Yatra; Jaon Village Basepoint
Seed Banjar
Loop Jalori Pass- Banjar- Gushaini
Highly sensitive Protected Areas & a few Moderately
Environment Sensitivity
sensitive areas
Seismic Zone V
Disaster vulnerability Moderate to High sensitivity to Landslide
Incidences of Forest Fires in Tirthan & Sainj Valley
NH- 305 (Sainj- Luhri- Anni -Jalori- Aut Road)
Major Roads
SH- 11 (Sainj Ani Banjar Aut Road)
Broad Guage- Una (197km); Kalka (230) & Chandigarh
Distance from Railways (246km)
Narrow Guage- Joginder Nagar (118km)
Bhuntar (KUU) Airport (43km)
Community based land and water Adventure & Eco-
Predominant Activity tourism activities such as Trout Fishing, River Crossing, Zip
Lining, Trekking, Camping, Bird Watching etc.
SWOC Analysis
STRENGTHS
 The seed, Banjar lies on NH- 305 (Jalori- Aut Road) which meets NH- 5 at Sainj and NH-3 at Aut. It
is well connected to Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster in Kullu district and Narkanda Cluster in Shimla
district.
 Banjar is the hub for basic physical and social infrastructure in this cluster and serves the
surrounding settlements.
 Tourist Information Center and Nature Interpretation Center are available at the GHNP Forest
Range Office, Shairopa.
 There are a variety of budget and premium accommodation facilities available in this cluster such
as homestays, guest houses, rest houses, camping and cottages etc. along the Tirthan River.
 The bubbling blue water and melodious sound of Tirthan River, surrounded by dense oak and
cedar forests and views of snowy mountains offer a very peaceful and relaxing environment to
the tourists.
 Tirthan River is often called ‘Trout Fishing Paradise’ as the river is a natural habitat to Rainbow,
Brown and Golden trout. Tourists can indulge in angling and fishing, and enjoy this Himachali
delicacy.
 The Great Himalayan National Park is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and offers tourists a
unique experience of eco and adventure tourism activities such as trekking, bird watching, river
crossing, camping, mountaineering, rock climbing etc.
 The local community is highly dependent upon tourism as secondary source of income after
agriculture. Two not- for- profit community based organizations namely Tirthan Conservation and
Tourism Development Association (TCTDA) and Biodiversity Tourism and Community
Advancement (BTCA) have also been established to facilitate the eco and adventure tourism, and
natural resource conservation in this cluster.
 The local community has been provided various certificate courses and trainings in tour and travel
operations and hospitality sector by various government agencies such as Department of Tourism
and Forest Department to enhance the capacity and level of skills of the tourism service providers,
and improve their socioeconomic levels.
 Jalori Pass (3,120m) and Bashleo Pass (3,277m) are perfect destinations for day- hikes and treks
with an experience of the local life of small villages.
 The waterfalls of Bagasarahan, cascading down the hills through the face of a small cave, forming
a pool at the bottom are a delight for the nature lovers.
 The Yatra of Srikhand Mahadev (5,227m), which is one of the five Kailash Parvats and toughest
Hindu pilgrimages dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a once in a lifetime experience from religious as well
as adventure tourism perspective.
 Along the Tirthan River, there are numerous small villages such as Nagini, Dehuri, Mungla,
Gushaini, Jibhi and such, which have a unique socio- cultural and religious way of life which
tourists can experience by staying in the homestays with the locals.
 Sharchi is a small village nestled in the hills from where tourists often go hiking to Lambri Top and
Jamala village, and camping in the green meadows.
WEAKNESSES
 Camping structures along the Tirthan River have been put up right next to the channel. It is not
regulated or monitored, and poses threats of drowning, water logging, land slide etc.
 Connectivity within the cluster is dependent upon private mode of transportation or public buses
which have very low frequency. To provide for high value low impact tourists, robust public
transportation infrastructure needs to be provided.
 Due to lack of any organized parking facility in the cluster, locals and tourists park their vehicles
on- street which further adds to the traffic problems.
 Connectivity to the rural tourism destinations such as Gushaini, Shoja, Bagasarahan, Sharchi
needs to be improved in order to attract more tourists to these lesser explored areas.
 Wastewater from the camping facilities is being discharged directly into the river due to lack of
any drainage network. It is leading to water pollution, especially for the settlements living
downstream. Non- biodegradable solid waste from all the tourism related establishments is burnt
or filled into small pits dug at individual properties. The dumping site at Banjar is right next to the
Tirthan River, discharging leachate into the water.
OPPORTUNITIES
 Eco- tourism and adventure tourism activities may be promoted further in the Great Himalayan
National Park for mountaineering and trekking expeditions, and dedicated research and studies.
 Thematic treks such as Yoga and meditation retreat within the National Park may be explored.
 Development of eco- friendly accommodations such as tree house, den house, tents, bamboo
huts, etc. may be proposed at the campsites inside the National Park.
 In order to educate and generate awareness amongst the trekkers, eco- friendly information
signage indicating the location of campsites, species of flora, predominant animal and bird
habitats, with their botanical and zoological information may be displayed at certain points inside
the National Park.
 Maintenance of the bridges, trails, information signage, etc. inside the National Park shall be
undertaken regularly to maintain the quality of tourism experience.
 Advanced training programs need to be organized to strengthen the capacity and enhance the
skills of the guides, porters, cooks, and other adventure sports operators for better delivery of
tourism services.
 Short treks and day hikes, such as Jalori Pass and Bashleo Pass may be promoted as winter treks
as the higher peaks of Great Himalayan National Park are closed during winter season.
 Water based adventure activities in Tirthan River need to be marketed and promoted to attract
more high value low impact tourists, and premium accommodations and robust infrastructure
needs to be provided to support the same.
 There are various temples such as Shringa Rishi Temple, Lomas Rishi, Chaini Kothi, Jalori Mata,
Budhi Nagini, and Jagdamba Rishi Temple which are built in traditional architectural style and may
be promoted to showcase the local heritage and culture.
 Homestays in Tirthan Valley need to be strengthened in terms of capacity building, skill
improvement, providing local cuisine and organizing traditional art and cultural programs etc.
 The Baag (meadow) in Bagasarahan may be promoted as socio- cultural and religious event
destination with eco- camping facilities. During winters, soft adventure activities may also be
promoted when the ground is covered in snow.
CHALLENGES
 NH- 305 passes through the local market of Banjar town which creates a lot of traffic congestion.
A bypass road may be developed for heavy vehicles and through traffic.
 Development of premium accommodation such as eco- resort, glamping (glamorous camping),

nature park etc. at Bagasarahan & Jalori Pass
 Development of water adventure theme based Eco- Tourism Park and Angler's huts along Tirthan
River
 Sign boards at different places at major junctions in Tirthan Valley villages
 Installation of eco- friendly information signage indicating the location of basecamps, species of
flora, predominant animal and bird habitats, with their botanical and zoological information at
certain points inside the National Park.
 Maintenance of the bridges, trails, information signage, etc. inside the National Park.
 Development of an Art and Culture center, Village Haat and Tourist information Center at Banjar
 Development of By- Pass road for Banjar town market
 Development of basic physical infrastructure such as water supply, sanitation, power supply,
roads and pathways, parking facilities and street lighting etc. in villages of Tirthan Valley.
 Advanced training programs to strengthen the capacity and enhance the skills of the guides,
porters, cooks, homestay operators, adventure sports operators, and other tourism service
providers in villages of Tirthan Valley.
 Promotion of homestays and agro tourism at lesser explored rural destinations such as Gushaini,
Shoja, Bagasarahan and Sharchi.
 Formulation of regulations for tourism activities along Tirthan River
This cluster offers water based adventure activities such as angling, river crossing and zip lining along
Tirthan River; and trekking, bird watching, animal sighting and camping in Great Himalayan National Park.
The accommodation available in this cluster ranges from budget guest houses, homestays and tents to
premium cottages and luxury tents.
Currently, this cluster attracts only a very niche tourist and is not promoted as a package by tour and
travel operators. The tourists coming to this cluster generally spend about 3-4 days. Expenditure incurred
by the tourists range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000 only. This price is exclusive of the trekking and camping
in GHNP which involves hiring of guide, porter and cook at additional costs. Bagasarahan lies on the other
side of the hill and does not form part of the current tourists’ itinerary. But with introduction of basic
infrastructure and some activities such as trekking to Bashleo Pass and camping, it can also be promoted
as part of this package. By promoting the additional destinations and activities, the duration of tourists’
stay can be extended up to 7 Days as detailed below.
Tourism
Promotion
Areas Itinerary
Angling, river crossing and zip lining in Tirthan River at Nagini and camping at
Shairopa, Shairopa;
Nagini, GHNP- 3 Trekking, camping, bird watching, animal sighting in Great Himalayan National
Days Park;
Visit to Chaini Kothi & Shringa Rishi Temple in Banjar; Jibhi waterfall,
Banjar- 1 Day Local villages- Bathad, Pekhri, Ghiyagi and Gushaini;
Sharchi Village-
1 Day Stay at a homestay at Sharchi Village and hike to Lambri Top;
Jalori Pass- 1
Day Hike to Serolsar Lake and camping at Jalori Pass;
Bagasarahan- 1 Visit to Bagasarahan, hiking to the waterfalls;
Day Srikhand Mahadev Yatra (Fixed time annual event)
Accommodation
Total Cost Estimate (Per person/ Food/
(Per person/day) Travel night) Activities Others
7 Days 2550 5100 1000- 1500 750 2000 500- 1000 300- 600
7.4 BEAS CIRCUIT

Beas circuit commences from Swarghat in Bilaspur District, where one enters through Chandigarh and
Punjab. It then goes on to Rewalsar, Sundernagar, and Mandi which is famously known as Chhoti Kashi
owing to its temples and internationally famous Maha Shivratri festival. The circuit then channels into
Kullu district which is the origin of Beas River. The Beas Circuit is a perfect amalgamation of physically and
mentally stimulating destinations and activities to attract variegated tourist cohorts.
In this section, marketable tourism circuits are identified on the basis of overall circuit route, to attract
diverse tourist types based on predominant themes and activities along this route. The tourist circuits are
created along the major tourism attractions, project recommendations and regional connectivity. The
iconic tourism sub- circuits identified for the Beas circuit are Exhilarating Manali, Spiritual Spectacles,
Himalayan Eco-Treasures- the Rustic Rumble & the Pristine Paradise, and Family Fiesta. Each tourism
circuit is themed to attract a target tourist group.
Thematic Sub- Route Target

Duration
Circuit Tourist
Banjar – GHNP, Shairopa (1) - Kullu (1) – Manali, Adventure
Exhilarating Old Manali (3) - Vashisht - Solang Valley - 5 days Enthusiasts
Manali Rohtang Pass & Wilderness
Explorers
Shangarh - Vishweswar Mahadev Temple (1) - Religious,
Spiritual Manikaran - Bijli Mahadev Temple - Naggar (1)- Heritage
4 days
Spectacles Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery- Jagatsukh – Explorers &
Vashisht - Old Manali, Manali (2) Family
Himalayan Eco- The Rustic Rumble
Eco-
Treasures Baga Sarahan (1) - Bashleo Pass - Sharchi -
4 days explorers,
1. The Rustic Gushaini - Shairopa (2) - Jibhi - Shoja - Jalori Pass
Leisure
(1)
Rumble Seekers,
Wilderness
2. The Pristine The Pristine Paradise
3 days Enthusiasts,
Malana - Kasol (1) - Kheerganga - Tosh (1) - Babeli
Paradise Family
- Arjun Gufa Prini (1) - Marhi
Jalori Pass - Shoja - Jibhi - Shairopa (1) - Family,
Manikaran (1) - Kullu - Babeli - Manali (2) - Solang Leisure
Family Fiesta Valley - Vashisht - Rohtang Pass 4 days Seekers,
Wilderness
Enthusiasts
CONCLUSION
Tourism is rapidly growing industry in Himachal Pradesh and its impact is extremely varied. On one hand,
it is playing an important and certainly positive role in the socio economic and political development in
state and on the other hand offering new employment opportunities. In brief tourism provides
opportunity to escape people from their normal humdrum lives. Tourism industry occupies an important
place in the economy of Himachal Pradesh. Tourism includes the development of various public utility
services like roads, transport services airports, communication network and civil amenities etc. in much
better way. Kullu and Manali is one of the beautiful and important tourist destinations from tourism point
of view. Glance of tourist figure urge the need of more destinations to be developed as hill station. There
are many virgin areas in the State which have high potential to be developed into hill stations. Exploring
this potential shall help in development of new destinations and will serve in resolving problem of
decongestion on existing areas.
In Himachal Pradesh, tourism is being considered as an important vehicle of economic development. The
state govt. should develop appropriate policy in respect to the class of the tourists to be encouraged and
motivated to visit the state, to achieve the objective of rapid economic development. The government
should identify the new tourist’s destinations and a comprehensive plan should be drawn to develop these
destinations, which should provide all infrastructure and facilities to the tourists. The plan should also
concentrate upon improving the accessibility as well the tourist marketing strategies to lesser explored
destinations. Since budget is an important factor for strengthening and improvement of tourism structure
in the state, it is suggested that the budget of tourism department in the state should be increased for
increasing tourism development, publicity, marketing and branding nationally and internationally.
The state govt. should make efforts to provide comprehensive training so the youth engaged in organizing
adventure sports like Para gliding. Skiing, camping, angling water sports, climbing, trekking
mountaineering etc. are able to take these activities on commercial basis and facilities available are of
international standards. Agro and rural tourism should be focused upon. Tirthan Valley has many
undiscovered spots with unspoiled charm that are worth to visit for spending a quite rewarding holidays
amidst the spender of nature away from crowds. The state govt. should make special efforts to develop
unexplored destinations with the assistance of central govt. and participation of private sectors to provide
all necessary facilities of tourist’s interest so as to shift some crowds from particular tourist place.

Project Report - Tourism Dev in Kullu - Ruchi

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TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KULLU, HP

Report submitted to WWF-India and NLU, Delhi for

the partial fulfillment for the award of the certificate of

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Centre for Environmental Law National Law University

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE SIGNATURE OF THE CANDIDATE

Strategic Recommendations: Formulation of recommendations for improvement of tourism in the study

2.1 STATE PROFILE

Urban population 688,522 (10.1 %)

Area 55,673 sq. km

Overall Density 123 persons/Sq.km

Decadal Population 12.94%

Sex Ratio (per 1000) 972

Average Household 4.6

Major Industries Textiles, Tourism, Hydropower, Pharmaceuticals, Food Procurement and

Climate Semi Tropical to Semi Arctic

Languages Hindi, Pahari, Punjabi, English

Religions Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism

International Airport Delhi, Chandigarh & Amritsar

Domestics Airports Jubberhatti (Shimla), Bhuntar (Kullu), Gaggal (Kangra)

2.2 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

2.3 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING

2.5 KULLU- DISTRICT PROFILE

Land cover distribution in the district is as shown in the following table:

Land Cover Sub- Categories Area (in sq. km.)

Main functions are Registration of persons engaged in tourist trade and

4.1 GLOBAL LEVEL SCENARIO

4.2 NATIONAL LEVEL SCENARIO

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council 2019

4.3 STATE LEVEL SCENARIO

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Following are some of the projects being undertaken in Himachal Pradesh:

Heritage & Culture Tourism

Commercial & Recreational Tourism

Health & Wellness- Kullu

5.1 TOURISM DESTINATION CATALOUGING

5.2 TREKKING TOURISM DESTINATIONS

6.1 TOURISM PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING

ASSETS BASED TOURISM

 Tourist catchment of the Hilly/mountain area

 Duration of the snowing season

 Tourist catchment of religious site

 Conservation of tourism sites and Level of theme adhered

 The scale of community involvement

 History of the area

 History of the area

MODES OF OPERATION BASED TOURISM

 The condition of Existing Biodiversity

 Community involvement in tourism activities

 The catchment of a film shoot in the site

 Fixed timings of the event

 The geographical extent of Treatment center’s established

 Attractions and events

Health & Wellness

6.2 INFRASTRUCTURE PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING

Fact Sheet Manali Cluster

 Traffic management & development of parking in Manali

Proposed Tourist Package

Table: Tourist Package

7.2 Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster

Fact Sheet Parvati- Kullu Valley Cluster

 Development of Tourist information and interpretation center at Manikaran

Proposed Tourist Package