DW BUREAU / Shimla,

More than one crore tourists visited Himachal Pradesh from January to June -- an increase of 80,697 as compared to the corresponding period last year, officials said on Wednesday. Key destinations such as Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti attracted tourists, they said.

According to an official statement issued by the tourism department, the state saw the arrival of 1,00,87,440 tourists from January to June this year as compared to 1,00,06,743 tourists in the same period last year.

The trend has continued in July, aided by favourable weather conditions and open roads, allowing tourists to escape the heat in the plains, the statement said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said while some roads have been affected due to bad weather, the majority are accessible. "Despite recent weather conditions affecting some roads, most of the roads across the state have remained accessible," Sukhu said.

Himachal continues to witness an influx of tourists in July and we expect to get more than two crore visitors by the end of this year, he added. The chief minister emphasised the importance of tourists remaining updated about the latest travel advisories and road conditions through the helplines of the district administrations, police departments and social media handles.
(editor@dailyworld.in)