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Cherry blossoms to attract tourists to Himachal
by Hemant Chauhan

     Kandyali (HP): Farmers in Himachal Pradesh seek to promote the cherry blossom season to attract more tourists to the state. With the onset of spring, the hills in Kandyali area of Shimla has come alive, dotted with hundreds of white flowers blossoming on the cherry trees. As April is considered the opening tourist season in the state, cherry farmers say that the season has a lot of potential to attract tourists when the flowers are in full bloom. "Just like in the European countries when the flowering starts during the first week of April, similarly the cherry blossom season here attracts a lot of tourists," said Jeet Ram Verma, a cherry farmer. However, the residents say that the cherry blossom tourism is not being promoted by the State Government, which could fetch good revenue. "Unlike foreign countries, there is no provision to attract tourists to Himachal Pradesh during the cherry blossom season. So the tourism department must promote the season and encourage tourists to visit Himachal during the season," said Naren Shahi, a travel agent. Cherry cultivation is gaining popularity in Himachal Pradesh, as the traditionally apple-growing farmers find it a profitable alternative to other cash crops. In Himachal Pradesh, 2,000 hectares of land is under cherry cultivation. In Shimla district, Narkanda, Kandyali, Kotgarh-Kumarsen, Rampur, Rohru, and Kotkhai are the main areas of cherry cultivation.
-April 25, 2009

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