Reema Lokesh – Chandigarh
“There is so much more to Chandigarh as a place than just being a transit destination,” said Kavita Singh, managing director, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO).
Chandigarh is always known as a gateway hub to popular tourist destinations in the north of India be it by air, rail or road. It is known for its architectural design and well spread out gardens. The CITCO managing director is working on a tourism masterplan to make it a stopover destination. From leisure to MICE opportunities she is putting systems in place to redesign the union territory’s tourism glory.
The department has drafted a meticulous tourism calendar of events for the city to meet the interest of a varied target audience from arts, culture, films, music, dance, theatre and more. The aim is to give the city an international appeal and also cater to the interest of the local population. Inviting celebrities in the field of performing arts to hosting sporting events and shopping festivals the city is ready to absorb the tourism inflow. Singh added, “The city is well equipped with quality accommodation facilities across categories and CITCO itself successfully runs three hotel properties in the city, namely Hotel Mount View, Shivalik View and Park View. I am focused on giving these properties their due as they are located in the best spots of the city.”
After taking charge in October 2014, the department launched a new interactive website. Building an international standard convention centre is top of the agenda as the city can work well as a MICE destination due to the surrounding upcoming future growth hubs. Another interesting spot of Chandigar,h which she aims to popularise further is the Capital Complex region (114 sq km) designed by the architect Le Corbusier.
Opened for tourists recently in April 2015, the region of Chandigarh has a lot to offer in terms of architecture, heritage and nature trails and walks, eco tours etc, this region has been pitched for the UNESCO status as an entry of Le Corbusier’s work. In fact this year is also the 50th death anniversary of Le Corbusier and the city has already commenced numerous activities related to heritage, art and culture.
From heritage walks to knowledge sharing sessions, the city of Chandigarh will see a lot of action over the next three months. Singh is all set to give Chandigarh the must needed fillip and she is confident to achieve her aim with a team that is working with her actively.