In an effort to make Haryana a ‘tourism hub’, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday inaugurated several adventure sports activities at Tikkar Tal in Morni. The adventure sports activities undertaken here to promote tourism in the state include parasailing, paramotor and jet scooter.
With the formal inauguration by CM Khattar, the aerial and water sports activities here have now been made commercially operational. Local youth of Morni Hills are being trained to conduct these adventure activities, which will not only generate employment but will also boost the government’s efforts to develop the tourism industry of the state.
CM Khattar also released brochures on Home Stay Policy and Agri Tourism Policy. The state’s home stay policy aims to provide tourists with a choice of hotels in their homes to give them the opportunity to stay with local families and experience indigenous culture and cuisine, while the agro-tourism policy allows tourists to choose between. To. Wide range of farm houses for enjoying weekends and holidays with friends and families. With this, the state government hopes to provide livelihood opportunities to the local farm owners and villagers as well.
Addressing the gathering, Khattar said, “The development of Morni was a major feature of the Integrated Panchkula Development Plan. I am happy that all these companies brought here for these games are now a part of Haryana Tourism Department as they have signed various MoUs.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the first of its kind Tourism Facilitation Center here. He said, “Promotion of tourism in Haryana is top priority as it has become an important tool not only to provide employment but also to take the revenue and GDP graph of the state to new heights.”
Inviting nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts to visit Morni, the Chief Minister said that with this launch today, we have opened doors for tourists to experience Haryana.
Home stays will be offered as an alternative to hotels
With the launch of the Home Stay Policy, locally residing homeowners can now offer their home or parts of their home to tourists and visitors at a reasonable price. Landlords who have additional rooms in their homes can provide them with full boarding as well as tourists at fixed rates. “Thus, tourists get clean and affordable places to stay with the added experience of local customs, cuisines etc., instead of the commercial environment of hotels,” the Chief Minister said.
“The home stay scheme aims to expand the market by reducing its price-point along with creating more accommodation options for tourists. The scheme will also promote decentralization of the benefits of tourism to a large number of people who have assets available for such use. The scheme will provide a plethora of accommodation options at various locations and at a competitive price. Tourists who are willing to stay longer will also get the benefit of this scheme. With the introduction of this policy, tourists will definitely get to experience local community life where they experience folk songs, stroll through the surrounding countryside, trekking, pottery making, food, dance, arts and crafts. are,” he said.
Haryana will provide capacity building training to eligible and selected home-stay owners under the Tourism Skill Development Mission.
Reforms in agro-tourism policy to promote tourism
The state government hopes to create space for both farm owners and tourists, adding more options and facilities through the revised agri-tourism policy. “Farm owners can now look forward to expanding their business on a large and flexible commercial scale with the facilities provided under the renewed policy. On the other hand tourists can now explore the real rural life with safety and security. This will help in promoting rural tourism and bring Haryana as an important destination on the tourism calendar for those who want a different experience,” Khattar said.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also presented acknowledgment certificates to the various property owners who had enrolled under the Home Stay Policy. Appreciation letters were also given by the Chief Minister to 25 farms for nomination under the Revised Farm Stay Policy.
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