category Regional, shimla, , tags Regional, shimla, , DW BUREAU shimla Hoteliers and tour operators here Thursday urged the Himachal Pradesh government to improve rail connectivity from major cities in south and west India to Chandigarh and Kalka to boost tourist footfall in the state.Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association emphasised improving rail connectivity from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru to Chandigarh and Kalka. The association s president M K Seth said the state was unable to tap inflow of tourists from south India due to the absence of frequent trains from Chennai and Bengaluru to Chandigarh. Seth pointed out that the government s goal to increase the inflow of tourists to five crore a year can be only achieved by improving air and rail connectivity besides roads. Members of the Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association said the train connectivity from southern India to Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand is better compared to Himachal Pradesh. There is a need to increase rail connectivity from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai as currently only one train comes to Chandigarh from these cities, they said. Seth said two trains run from Ahmedabad and Mumbai to Chandigarh seven days a week, but there is only one train once in a week from Bangalore and one train twice a week from Chennai. He added that a daily train service from southern cities to Chandigarh can bring a big boom in the state s tourism. We urge Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take up the matter with the Centre to strengthen the train connectivity from the south by running trains from Chennai and Bengaluru seven days a week and introducing a Vande Bharat train from Mumbai to Chandigarh, Seth said. We suggest that there is a need to start Vande Bharat train between Mumbai and Chandigarh. This will increase the connectivity from Gujarat also because the Mumbai-Chandigarh route covers Surat and Ahmedabad, he added. The Vande Bharat Express is a medium-distance, semi-high-speed train service similar to the Shatabdi Express. Started in February 2019, these are day train services connecting Indian cities that are less than 10 hours apart. Earlier this month, tourism stakeholders of the state were upset over the transport department s decision to impose a special road tax (Rs 3,000 to 5,000 per day) on the entry of buses and taxis registered in other states. They had said that tour operators of other states have put Himachal Pradesh out of their list as group trips have become unviable. However, the chief minister had on October 19 said the state government would reduce the special road tax (SRT) and other taxes levied on the tourist buses, tempo travellers and commercial tourist vehicles registered outside the state. The tourism department had lost over Rs 2,000 crore when the state came to a standstill due to massive destruction caused by heavy rains triggering landslides and flash floods in July and August. Tourism and connectivity are intricately intertwined, forming the backbone of global travel networks and fostering cultural exchange and economic growth. In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements and enhanced transportation systems, seamless connectivity has become a vital catalyst for the flourishing of tourism. Effortless accessibility, facilitated by robust air, road, and rail networks, has significantly reduced travel barriers, encouraging tourists to explore distant destinations with ease. (editor dailyworld.in)