Himachal's McLeod Ganj Goes To Polls Amid Tourism Concerns

Elections are only 10 days away but many in the twin tourist towns of Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj say they have more pressing concerns -- how to end traffic jams, bad roads and poor connectivity that are hindrance to locals and also visitors.

The buzz is missing with travel and hospitality industry players more interested in attending to visitors during the last leg of the tourist season rather than giving an ear to claims of development or promises offered by political leaders.

Bipin Rana, a travel and tour operator, says more tourist attractions like theme parks and luxury hotels should be set up in and around the city to give a rich experience to visitors.

"Even the Dharamshala Skyway, a Rs 200-crore ropeway project developed to cut the travel time to just five minutes between the city and McLeod Ganj from the usual 45 minutes by road, has failed to address the traffic problem and attract more visitors due to high ticket prices," he says.

Echoing the view, Deepak, another tour operator, says they find it hard to sell the tourism package to a family as the overall cost of the round trip shoots up to Rs 2,500 or more. Though some relaxation was announced, the ticket price is still around Rs 300 for single journey and around Rs 450 for round trip, he says.

Lack of parking facilities at the starting point in Dharamshala also bothers visitors, he adds.

Bipin Rana believes that McLeod Ganj is not getting its due recognition as a bustling tourist spot despite being on the international travel map due to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. Falling footfall of international travellers and high-spending tourists is also bothering hoteliers in McLeod Ganj. The hoteliers rue that although the city is attracting trekkers, paragliding enthusiasts and weekend crowds, these visitors avoid spending on luxury hotel stays.

For Sanjeev Gandhi, a hotelier and the general secretary of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Smart City Dharamshala, government apathy to the travel industry, especially after the pandemic, has done more harm to the stakeholders.

He claims that the hospitality and travel industry is disappointed with the treatment given to the sector after the pandemic, adding the government should have given more financial support to hoteliers. "The tourism sector in the state will support the party which will genuinely address its problems and give it industry status," Sanjeev Gandhi adds.

Six candidates, including three independents, are in the fray from the Dharamshala seat. While the BJP has given the ticket to Rakesh Chaudhary, the Congress has fielded former minister Sudhir Sharma from the constituency. Kulwant Singh Rana is contesting on the AAP ticket.

Polling will be held in Himachal Pradesh on November 12 and counting of votes on December 8. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking re-election in the state, while the Congress is eyeing to wrest power from the saffron party.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)