Shimla: Now tourists can stay in luxurious government guest houses in Himachal Pradesh at low cost. The rent of these guest houses ranges between Rs 500 to Rs 1200 per night. The state government has made the booking process of these guest houses completely online, thereby providing both convenience and transparency to the tourists. Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has implemented this initiative with the aim of promoting tourism and simplifying the process for tourists.
Earlier, booking of these guest houses was only offline, which required local recommendation or departmental process. Now, anyone can book a room from the comfort of their home through the official website of Him Atithi. Booking is on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and is confirmed immediately via email or mobile message. At present, booking of 276 rest houses and more than 1000 rooms in the state is being done online every day.
It is mandatory to deposit 50 percent advance amount of the total fare at the time of booking. For Himachali citizens this amount is Rs 250, while for citizens of other states it has been fixed at Rs 500. Room fares in Circuit House and PWD Rest House vary according to location and facilities.
The locations of these government guest houses are mostly in tourist places or areas rich in natural beauty. For this reason, it has become an excellent and budget-friendly option for tourists. Many guest houses have facilities similar to 5-star hotels such as hot water, food arrangements, Wi-Fi and parking.
Himachal Government believes that this online booking initiative will not only increase transparency but will also increase the tourism revenue of the state. Tourists can now easily choose the location as per their budget and stay safely. This scheme is proving to be an affordable and convenient option for tourists visiting Himachal.
This initiative is expected to further boost the tourism sector of the state. The government is planning to add more guest houses online in the future. Online booking will provide time saving and secure payment option to the tourists. With this, people traveling on a small budget will also be able to enjoy the wonderful location.
