To continue the growth of cricket tourism in Himachal Pradesh ,  shall bring  more exciting matches to this beautiful region: Arun Dhumal

To continue the growth of cricket tourism in Himachal Pradesh ,  shall bring  more exciting matches to this beautiful region: Arun Dhumal

Dharamsala (Arvind Sharma)

Former Treasurer of BCCI and current Chairman of IPL, Arun Singh Thakur, emphasized the impact of hosting five top matches of the current ODI World Cup in Dharamshala’s HPCA Stadium on tourism in the area. He noted that Dharamshala has become increasingly popular among worldwide tourists. After the completion of all five matches, Arun Singh Thakur mentioned that he has been receiving numerous inquiries from tourists from various countries, including even those that are not traditionally associated with cricket.

He expressed his happiness over his efforts to bring these matches to Dharamshala. The city and its surrounding areas experienced a significant influx of national and international tourists throughout October. This surge in tourism helped revive the tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh, which had suffered due to natural disasters during the monsoon.

Arun Singh Thakur pointed out that hosting these 5 matches allowed the world to witness the stunning beauty of Dharamshala and the Dhauladhar valley for approximately 40 hours. This exposure is often equivalent to expensive tourism-related advertisements that would cost lakhs of rupees per minute.

He also mentioned that the players, officials, and other cricketing team members who visited Dharamshala praised the area’s natural beauty, pleasant weather, clean air, and opportunities for trekking and bathing in hill streams. Many international cricket players expressed their desire to play in this venue repeatedly.

The matches held in Dharamshala attracted various VIPs, including the High Commissioner of Australia in India Green Philip, the ICC Chairman Greg Barclay, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP Chief JP Nadda, Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and  his cabinet colleagues, and many BCCI officials.

 Arun Singh Thakur’s future efforts will focus on keeping this international centre busy throughout the year, benefiting the tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh. He mentioned that the ongoing extension of Gaggal Airport in Dharamshala would allow larger aircraft to land in the area, further increasing tourist arrivals. He also expressed gratitude to the Indian government for initiating four-lane road construction on the Shimla-Kangra and Pathankot-Mandi highways, which would significantly reduce travel time and attract road travelers.

Arun tweeted as “At last, excited and elated by the success of the #CWC23 matches held at our picturesque Dharamshala stadium, I wish to convey a sincere thank you to the enthusiastic audience for their overwhelming presence and joyful expressions in all the matches. A big thank to the stadium staff & Administration for their commitment and contribution in this successful stint. Deeply grateful to the media for joining us and giving the stadium massive coverage and highlighting the beauty of Dharamshala. We look forward to continuing the growth of cricket tourism in Himachal Pradesh and bringing more exciting matches to this beautiful region.”