World Cup Cricket Beautifully Pitches Dharamshala For Tourism
Sports tourism was always going to get a fillip from the World Cup, but some destinations benefit more than others
Dharamshala, a small town in Kangra district in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, got amazing visibility across the globe with some of the ongoing ICC World Cup matches being played in the picturesque cricket stadium, nestled in the lap of snow-clad Dhauladhar mountain ranges.
The India-New Zealand match on 22nd October saw the town jam-packed with cricket lovers from all over the world reaching Dharamshala and the similar influx is expected in the run up to the match between New Zealand and Australia on 28th October in the same stadium.
In a way, the five World Cup matches, four already done, at Dharamshala have given a necessary push to tourism, which suffered badly in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 followed by the unprecedented natural fury in Himachal Pradesh in Monsoons this year.
The flights from Delhi to Dharamshala were all full around the weekend with rates increasing four-fold, the hotels had increased occupancy the whole of October for the matches, with the figure touching 80- 100 percent on dates around the India- New Zealand and New Zealand –Australia match. Many people had to cancel their bookings in Dharamshala as they couldn't get tickets for the match.
“We have been getting numerous phone calls about the beautiful venue of the matches from all over the world. Everyone associated with Cricket and many others who watched the World Cup matches in this stadium live on Television want to come here. Social media is full of praise. It is helping tourism in Dharamshala in a big way,” Chairman of IPL, Arun Singh Dhumal, who hails from Himachal Pradesh and has been associated with Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) for over two decades told this reporter on phone.
Arun Singh Dhumal is the younger brother of Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Youth Services and Sports, Anurag Thakur.
Anurag Thakur headed HPCA for a long time and this HPCA cricket stadium with scenic background of mountains was his brainchild after he took over the reins of the state Cricket body in the year 2000.
The IPL Chairman said there was a time when Dharamshala stadium did not get accreditation as there were few hotels and the facility did not match international standards. “Gradually as the HPCA developed the stadium, preparing it for the international matches, big hotel brands like Radison and Hyatt etc also came to Dharamshala. The town and its outskirts saw a surge in the number of luxury hotels, local hotels, resorts and even home stays also with the passage of time to cater to the rush of cricket lovers during matches and general tourists over the years.”
He said the success of this sports tourism is that a good number of tourists visit Dharamshala stadium on daily basis even otherwise, attracted by its beautiful location.
The New Zealand team is staying in Dharamshala for nine days. The World Cup matches in Dharamshala also coincide with international Kullu Dussehra festival that begins on 24th October and the Navratras that helped in bringing tourist rush to the shakti peethas (Devi temples) in Kangra district. The Cricket players from different countries, who came to play the World Cup matches in Dharamshala, praised the town for the natural beauty and cultural richness of the place.
Located at an altitude of 1457 metres above sea level, it is the highest stadium where international matches are being played. It is a small stadium with a seating capacity of around 23,000 persons.
The repeated camera focus on the mountain ranges visible from the stadium during matches add value and charm to the sports venue for anyone watching the match on Television. The stadium is an architectural marvel, inspired by Tibetan style.
There is a touch of tradition too. Before every match, the HPCA officials pray before the local deity ‘Indrunag’ asking for clear weather during the match, with Dharamshala known for uncertain rains.
The journey to this world class stadium in the hills has been quite struggleful for the HPCA, headed by Anurag Thakur then, as the Association had to face a number of hurdles from the state government of the day. However, Thakur demonstrated the will to go ahead with this dream project and succeeded in bringing international acclaim for the endeavor. Construction of the stadium was a tough task given the slope down the hill, but it came up fast and was completed in 2004.
It was updated to its present capacity with services like hotel rooms, gyms and media boxes for the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2009. The first international match- ODI between England and India- was played here in 2013. The stadium has been the venue for IPL, World Cup and T-20 Cricket matches since then with some gap in between, however.
“See the positive outcome. No government can arrange such a massive publicity for tourism promotion, which cricket is giving to Dharamshala,” claimed Arun Singh Dhumal. He said he had invited Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, his cabinet colleagues and other leaders in the state to visit the stadium and watch the India-New Zealand match so that they could see the impact.
“There is no doubt that the sport has helped the tourism industry grow in Dharamshala since the first IPL was played here in 2009. The World Cup matches have acted as a catalyst for revival of tourism in the town, which was witness to the slump after Covid in 2020-21 and then Monsoon havoc this year,” said a leading hotelier, Ashwani Bamba in Dharamshala.
Bamba is the President of Hotels and Restaurants Association of Kangra District and Patron of Federation of Himachal Pradesh Hotels and Restaurants Association.
“A town with a capacity of just 400-500 rooms a decade and a half ago can now house 20,000 persons, right from budget to luxury hotels. So much growth has been there. With this image boost, however, we need to have matching facilities for the visitors,” he said.
Bamba found that parking facilities for the vehicles, especially during the matches, the costly and scant flights coming to Dharamshala from Delhi and lately the tax regime for the taxis coming to Himachal from outside the state are some prime concerns. “Nobody wants to go to Mcleodganj, Naddi or other beautiful outskirts of Dharamshala town during matches, fearing that they would not be able to reach the stadium in their own car or taxi due to traffic chaos. If they reach, the parking facility is very limited. This needs to be taken care of.”
The locals generally feel that the World Cup matches at the HPCA stadium in Dharamshala have put spotlight on Dharamshala, which is also popular as Tibetan Spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama’s abode “Yet the state government needs to cash in on this in a holistic way with a changed outlook towards tourism. We need to prolong the stay of tourists and make available an environment with our behavior and essential infrastructure so that the tourists feel comfortable and feel like coming back. Unfortunately, the tourism culture is missing so far, whether it is about tourism policing or hospitality,” said Sandeep Parmar, a local citizen in Dharamshala. Parmar, who works in the social sector through an NGP and runs a Community Radio in Dharamshala, said Himachal Pradesh is known for its natural beauty and tourism is one sector which can grow here, if the government promotes it in the right perspective.
Connectivity has been one of the major hurdles to bring in domestic and foreign tourists to Dharamshala round the year. “There are two flights from Delhi to Dharamshala in routine and none in Monsoons. They too don’t have full occupancy. Maybe because of the high fare and risk of cancellation. We need to have a bigger airport, cheaper flights to encourage people to come to Dharamshala. The railway connectivity and the road network needs to be strengthened in the area,” said some locals involved in the tourism industry.
Dharamshala, the headquarters of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, has an estimated population of 60,000. It is nearer to Pathankot in Punjab.
As per statistics released by the tourism department, Himachal Pradesh received 1.51 crore tourists in the year 2022, more than double the state’s population. This includes 29,233 foreign tourists.
On the whole, the tourist influx in Kullu-Manali was the highest (28.76 lakh), followed by Shimla (25.65 lakh). Kangra district witnessed a little over 4 lakh tourists, majority of whom come to Dharamshala.
The state government headed by Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu did announce after coming into power in December last that Kangra district would be developed as a tourism capital of Himachal Pradesh by redefining tourism policy, developing little known beautiful and historic places and adding facilities on ground, including increased connectivity. The expansion of the airport at Gaggal is also in the pipeline.
Archana Phull, currently a freelance journalist based in Shimla, has spent more than three decades reporting on the political, socio-cultural and environment issues in Himachal Pradesh.
