Department of Tourism, Haryana To Set Up Camping Accommodation In 5 Tourist Destinations In The State Before CWG 2010

The Department of Tourism, Government of Haryana has identified five tourist destinations in Haryana to set up camping accommodation before the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010. These destinations are Surajkund, Hodal, Dharuhera, Morni and Damdama. The decision has been taken to provide additional accommodation at the National Capital Region (NCR) during the Games.
According to Keshni Anand Arora, Principal Secretary – Tourism, Government of Haryana, the state tourism department plans to develop the sites as full-fledged camping sites for tourists. The sites will be developed with private participation. The state government will offer the site on lease for a specified tenure and will also provide basic infrastructure like toilet blocks and common dining areas. She said, “We will act as a facilitator along with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.”

The state tourism department will soon commence development work at the identified sites so that the sites can be handed over to the interested bidders. The state tourism department expects to provide accommodation to around 1,000 tourists through this model. As per sources, besides private operators, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) may also bid for some of these sites. When contacted, an ITDC official said that the Corporation is looking in to the opportunities but nothing has been finalised yet. However, the official informed that the Corporation is also looking at managing camping sites across various destinations including Jaipur, Jammu and Puducherry.

Talking about other initiatives of Haryana Tourism in view of Commonwealth Games 2010, Arora said that the state tourism department along with Haryana Travel Mart (HTM) will host Grand Shopping Festival at Gurgaon from February 24, 2010 to March 14, 2010 to showcase Gurgaon as a shopping destination for tourists coming to NCR. Around 12 shopping malls in Gurgaon, along with hotels and restaurants will participate in the three-week long Festival.