As several thousand tourists throng Himachal Pradesh to celebrate Christmas and New Year, the state government is putting its best foot forward to be as accommodating as possible. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged the tourists on Monday to follow all rules and regulations and announced that in case police find drunk tourists, they will be dropped at the hotels instead of facing a jail term.

The development comes as Himachal Pradesh saw thousands of tourists around the festivals and the state government, which is reeling with huge economic losses due to the tragic floods wants to capitalize on the tourism potential of the state.

“We want to promote tourism in the state. We have opened eating joints, Dhaba, and restaurants that will function 24 hours a day, starting from December 20 to January 5. So that the tourists do not face any problems,” the Chief Minister said.

“The police will send drunken tourists back to hotels rather than jails. I urge all the tourists to follow rules and regulations,” he added.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu informed that around 30,000 tourists entered the state on Monday, as social media remained abuzz with long traffic jams around the hill areas. “Over 30000 thousand tourist vehicles have entered the state today,” the CM said and added that the state government has made special efforts to take care of the tourists.

The importance of tourism for Himachal Pradesh

The scenic mountains of Himachal Pradesh are a preferred destination for lakhs of people to spend some relaxing time with nature. Tourists work as a crucial driver for the economy of the hill state as it contributes to 7.3% of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Himachal Pradesh, which already had a high debt burden came under extreme financial pressure after the floods in June this year. As the state’s beleaguered economy claws back to normalcy, the tourists serve as a crucial factor for the government to get the hill state on track.