Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday urged tourists to follow rules and regulations, adding that police will not lock up drunk tourists; instead, they will take them to hotels.
He made the gesture towards them to promote tourism in the state, which is witnessing a large influx of visitors during the festive season of Christmas and New Year.
Due to the Winter Carnival, the state government has decided to keep hotels, restaurants, and dhabas open 24 hours a day for the convenience of tourists. Apart from this, the police have also been instructed not to harass the tourists.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the weeklong 'Winter Carnival' in Shimla to promote tourism in the state and said, "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 further said, "The police will send drunken tourists back to hotels rather than jails. I urge all the tourists to follow rules and regulations."
The traditional folk dances are drawing the attention of the people here. While addressing the gathering here, the Chief Minister said that over 30,000 tourist vehicles entered the state on Monday.
"Over 30000 thousand tourist vehicles have entered the state today," he further said, adding that the tourists were taken special care of by the state government during this festive and new year's season in the state.
The Chief Minister said that the Carnival will be organised every year in Shimla. Many tourists are overwhelmed after witnessing the winter carnival.
"I have been coming to Shimla for a long time; there are a large number of people gathered here. I have never seen it this crowded here. We are enjoying the carnival and ambience here. It's nice to be here," said Ridhi, a tourist from Punjab.
"We are feeling good to be here; the traditional dances and folk in the winter carnival are fantastic, and we are enjoying them," said Manish Agarwal, another tourist.
Many folklore artists expressed their joy in performing at the winter carnival.
"It is very good to be here. We are performing here and the winter carnival is being organised here for the first time. The artists have come from different parts of the state and also from other states of the country. It is good to be a part of this carnival," said Rohit, a young traditional folk artist.
The artists are also pleased to get a platform to perform in front of tourists, both domestic and international.
"I think the winter carnival is a big initiative to give a platform to the artists here. It is a good initiative to showcase the traditional art of the region," said Joginder Singh Habbi, a folk artist.
"After Corona, the artists were not getting platforms, even though there were floods that had also hit the festivals and such performances. Now it's time for festivals and the New Year season. A large number of people have gathered here and it is good to be here," he added.
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