Shimla:Tourism in Himachal Pradesh has gained momentum after the Corona-induced lull and tourists have once again started coming back to the hill state. According to data procured from the Tourism Department, Himachal Pradesh witnessed the arrival of 1.27 crore tourists in 2022, till October 31. Tourism contributes 7.3 per cent to Himachal's GDP. The tourism sector in Himachal was greatly affected due to the Corona epidemic in the last two years.
Director of Himachal Tourism Corporation Amit Kashyap said, "Before Corona, on average, 1.75 crore tourists used to visit Himachal every year. But in 2020 during the Corona period, only 32 lakh tourists and in 2021, 57 lakh tourists came to Himachal." Kashyap further said, "Due to the closure of international flights in many countries during the Corona period, tourists did not come from abroad. Very few tourists came to Himachal from outside states during this period, due to which the tourism business of Himachal was greatly affected."