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Shimla hosts Great Himalayan Run to woo tourists
by Nagendra Ranta

        Shimla: A large number of sports lovers and tourists had a gala time recently in Shimla watching over two thousand runners, participating in the second "Great Himalayan Run" in the picturesque town here. Organised by the State's tourism department to promote Shimla as a tourist destination, especially during this off-season, the Great Himalayn Run had participants not just from India but abroad as well in six different categories. "To increase the attraction and publicity of the State, we have been organising events from time to time. This year we have already organised the great Himalayan run and the Para-gliding pre- world cup and the mountain biking competition. The main purpose is to attract tourists during the off season," said, Manoj Kumar, deputy director tourism department, Himachal Pradesh. Apart from promoting tourism the event's objective was to give a new impetus to the sports enthusiasts in the State. "It is an incentive for the people, for us and even for the children. Suman Rawat (a national athlete) has come out from here and I got my motivation from her and many more sportsmen will come out of Himachal," said, Aman Saini, winner of the men's 12- kilometre event.

     Situated at a height of 2,310 metres above sea level, Shimla has been a favourite tourist destination for its pristine beauty. "I have been a runner for over 30 years and I think in Europe, in particular, there is lot of joy in fun running as it is called. People go out and run 10 km. I think you can get an international following. People would come to Shimla to enjoy the race and help in its promotion," said Angus Anman, a Scottish tourist on his second visit to Shimla. Shimla, which used to be the country's summer capital during the British colonial rule, is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations in India. During 2005, about 6.7 million tourists visited the State and the figure is expected to rise by 10 per cent in the current year. The state government offers several incentives to tourists during the off-season, which starts from mid-November to mid-April.
-Nov 14,  2006

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