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Punjab eyes tapping into Pathankot, Hoshiarpur’s eco-tourism potential
Punjab government invites private sector to invest in theme parks, wellness resorts, hotels and other hospitality facilities
The Punjab government is eyeing eco-tourism with mega projects to be developed in Pathankot and Hoshiarpur districts and wellness tourism to reinvigorate the sector.
It has drawn plans to develop Kulara Island near the Ranjit Sagar dam in Pathankot and Talwara and Maili in Hoshiarpur as nature and eco-tourism spots to attract tourists and invite the private sector to invest in theme parks, wellness resorts, hotels and other hospitality facilities. “Punjab is doing well in religious and border tourism circuits. Our main focus is now on eco-tourism, adventure and water sports activities in the state. We have plenty of locations with natural beauty, forest areas, scenic water bodies and dams in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Siswan area of New Chandigarh. There is tremendous potential, particularly in Pathankot as travel time from Amritsar will reduce with the new highway,” tourism, culture and investment promotion minister Anmol Gagan Maan said ahead of the three-day Tourism Summit and Travel Mart scheduled to start in SAS Nagar (Mohali) from September 11.
The cabinet minister said that all clearances are in place and the roadmap for their development is clear. “Taj Group, ITC, Club Mahindra, and Leela Group have shown interest and confirmed their participation in the summit. Wonderla, which has several big projects in south India, is considering an investment of ₹500-600 crore in a theme park in the state. Club Mahindra is looking for suitable land for its project,” she said.
Developing heritage forts
The tourism department is also toying with the idea of developing old forts and palaces, known for their architecture, into heritage properties in collaboration with established investors from the hospitality sector. “Punjab is endowed with a lot of heritage and palaces. The plan is to identify palaces not connected with Sikh history, and develop them onto commercial properties. A leading group that manages multiple heritage hotels and palaces has expressed interest,” Maan said.
The tourism minister said the state has good connectivity with two international airports in Amritsar and Mohali and four domestic airports, besides an excellent road and rail network. She said the government has been working consistently on increasing the frequency of flights and improving facilities. “This is the best time with an investor-friendly government in place, unlike in the past when the then governments neglected the tourism sector, lacked a policy and did not maintain heritage,” she said, making an appeal to NRIs to invest in tourism and hospitality sectors in the state.
