Kangra has a new ambition — and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is the one writing its blueprint. Speaking on Friday, October 16, 2026, the CM announced that Kangra is being actively developed as the state's tourism capital, with national-level government conferences at Dharamshala Airport serving as the first lever to pull visitors — and revenue — toward the region.

In the post, CM Sukhu stated: 'We are developing Kangra as the tourism capital of the state. Our aim is to promote tourism through national-level conferences and government events, and create new opportunities for local hoteliers. We want to increase hotel occupancy in Kangra and develop it as a major tourist destination like Shimla and Manali.'

The Dharamshala pitch — and who Sukhu called

The CM revealed he personally approached Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh with a targeted ask: hold an upcoming national e-governance conference at Dharamshala, given the city's operational airport. The request appears to have landed. Sukhu noted that roughly 100 officers from all states are expected to attend the conference, working on planning and implementation of e-governance schemes — and that he intends to address them directly.

The move is a textbook example of a state government converting administrative logistics into a tourism dividend. An inter-state officer-level conference brings hotel bookings, local spending, and visibility to a destination — without spending a rupee on a tourism campaign.

Why Kangra, and why now

Shimla and Manali have long dominated Himachal Pradesh's tourism economy, drawing the bulk of domestic visitors and hotel investment. Kangra — home to the famous Kangra Valley, Kangra Fort, and a string of temples — has historically played second fiddle despite its assets. The CM's framing is explicit: occupancy rates in Kangra hotels need to rise, and state-directed footfall from official events is the fastest way to build that momentum.

Dharamshala's airport gives the strategy its structural backbone. With air connectivity already in place, the barrier for central government officers or conference delegates travelling from Delhi or other metros is low. That is precisely the argument Sukhu made to MoS Jitendra Singh — and it is the same logic Indian states have used for years to push secondary destinations onto the national conference circuit.

e-Governance framework that ties it together

The conference Sukhu is targeting sits within India's long-running national e-governance architecture. The National e-Governance Plan, first launched in 2006 under the Department of Personnel and Training, has evolved into a multi-ministry effort to standardise digital service delivery across all states. Annual conclaves of state nodal officers have been a regular feature — and states routinely lobby to host them, knowing the associated publicity and economic activity.

By securing Dharamshala as a venue, Sukhu would be slotting Kangra into a circuit that typically favours metros. If the model works — and hotels report measurable occupancy gains — it could become a template for other districts in Himachal Pradesh seeking a share of the state's tourism economy.

The real test is not the conference itself, but whether Kangra's hospitality infrastructure can convert the first wave of official visitors into return leisure travellers. That is the inflection point CM Sukhu is betting on.