Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the Manali Winter Carnival-2026 at Manali in district Kullu today. Marking the occasion, the Chief Minister flagged off nearly 300 colourful tableaux highlighting development activities of various departments.
During the event, the Chief Minister announced the development of a riverfront project in Manali at a cost of Rs. 250 crore to promote tourism. He also announced the construction of five additional rooms in the new building of the Circuit House, Manali; installation of protective walls at seven identified locations for flood protection in the Manali area; construction of a parking facility in Old Manali at a cost of Rs. 2 crore and financial assistance of Rs. 25 lakh each for villages Solang and Karal to prevent landslides.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh attracts tourists from across the country and abroad due to its natural beauty, cultural diversity, historical heritage and tradition of warm hospitality. Every year, crores of tourists visit the state. He added that the state government was continuously encouraging grand events like the Winter Carnival at major tourist destinations to make visitor's experiences memorable.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that tourism is a key pillar of the state’s economy. The government aims to establish Himachal Pradesh as a global hub for nature, religious, adventure, spiritual and wellness tourism. In this direction, ‘Green Himachal Biodiversity Park's and riverside parks are being developed in both urban and rural areas.
He said that a new eco-tourism policy has been implemented in the state. Under this policy, 11 eco-tourism sites have been allotted by November 2025 and the allotment process for 27 more sites was in its final stage. This initiative was not only boosting tourism but also promoting self-employment at the local level.
To promote trekking, 245 trekking routes have been identified and a mobile application was being developed for the convenience of tourists. Ropeway projects were also being fast-tracked from an environmental conservation perspective. The Chief Minister said that rules have been amended to promote home stay tourism and an interest subsidy scheme has been launched for home stay units.
For setting up new home stays or expanding and upgrading existing ones, interest subsidy was being provided on investments of up to Rs. 5 crore, 3 percent in urban areas, 4 percent in rural areas and 5 percent in tribal areas. An online portal for home stay registration has also been launched.
To further promote tourism, priority was being given to the construction of heliports to connect all district headquarters with year-round air connectivity. A total of 16 new heliports were planned. In the first phase, nine heliports were being developed at Jaskot (Hamirpur), Rakkar and Palampur (Kangra), Sultanpur (Chamba), Aloo Ground and Manali (Kullu), Shabo (Kinnaur) and Jispa, Sissu and Rangrik (Lahaul-Spiti).
The expansion of Kangra Airport was also progressing. He said that Kangra district was being developed as the tourism capital of Himachal Pradesh. A world-class zoological park was under construction at Bankhandi in Dehra sub-division at an estimated cost of Rs. 619 crore.
Additionally, the state’s first skywalk bridge would be built at Hassan Valley in Kufri, Shimla district. The Chief Minister said that the government was also exploring the potential of horticulture tourism. Large orchards and clusters of orchards were being developed as part of rural tourism.
He said that Himachal has immense potential for adventure tourism, and concrete efforts were being made to develop the state as an emerging adventure tourism destination. He further said that luxury and adventure tourism activities have been introduced in the state’s reservoirs.
For the first time, facilities such as cruise services, shikara boats, houseboats, jet skis, high-tech motorboats and water scooters have been made available at Govind Sagar Lake. These activities would be expanded to other reservoirs in the future. To promote border tourism, tourism activities have been started at Shipki-La in Kinnaur district and infrastructure was being developed in other border areas as well.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the state government was ensuring that tourism development remains environmentally sustainable, as the state’s natural beauty and resources were its most valuable heritage. MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur thanked the Chief Minister for allocating crores of rupees for development works and flood control in the Manali region.
He said that development projects worth Rs. 500 crore have been undertaken in Manali town alone. Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Ravish welcomed the Chief Minister and detailed about the activities being organized during the winter carnival festival.
MLA Sunder Singh Thakur, Chairperson of the State Women Commission Vidya Negi, Milk Federation Chairman Buddhi Singh Thakur, State Water Management Chairman Shashi Sharma, APMC Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti Chairman Mian Ram Singh, District Red Cross Coordinator Chandrshekhar Sharma, District Congress Committee President Ses Ram Azad, Congress leader Rajeev Kimta, members of the Zila Parishad Kullu, Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Councillors of the Manali Municipal Council, and Superintendent of Police Madan Lal Kaushik were present on the occasion.