Dharamshala, March 23 -- With a push to eco-tourism, the Himachal Pradesh government will develop 50 new eco-tourism sites in the state in 2026-27, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said while presenting the budget (2026-27) on Saturday. The government has taken several important steps in a planned manner to promote eco-tourism. "During 2025- 26, the state has developed eco-tourism sites at 17 environmental tourism locations," CM Sukhu said. The state government has launched eco-tourism policy (2024) to develop eco-tourism sites in different forest circles across the state. The goal is to attract tourists in a way that protects nature, creates local jobs, and helps the economy grow in a clean and sustainable manner. Eco-tourism committees have been formed in each forest circle to take care of these projects. Local youth are being trained as nature guides and workers. With its snow-covered mountains, thick forests, clean rivers and rich wildlife, Himachal Pradesh has always been a favourite place for nature lovers. Sukhu informed that during 2025, a total of 3.11 crore tourists visited the state, which shows that Himachal is attracting a large number of tourists. Sukhu told the House that the government will bring a plan for the development of a new city named Kangra Aerocity near Kangra Airport, where tourists arriving in the tourism capital will not only get world-class facilities but also comprehensive development of the area around the airport will be ensured. The state government is in the process of expanding Kangra airport and has initiated the process of land acquisition for the proposed expansion project. For this, a rehabilitation and resettlement plan amounting to Rs 3,349 crore (including land acquisition cost) has also been approved. As the land acquisition process for the expansion of Kangra airport in Himachal is underway, around Rs 2,000 crore has been disbursed so far among the beneficiaries. For the planned and sustainable development of tourism infrastructure in the state, the Himachal government will establish a tourism-focused Land Bank. Under this, in addition to other areas to attract investment, the land available with the Tourism Department will be made available to investors for the development of hotels, resorts, home-stay clusters, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, ropeways, convention centers, parking facilities, and other tourism facilities after Mapping, Classification, and Digitalization. The CM in his budget speech said that "HP Women's Tourism Fund" will be created in the state, whose objective is to provide assistance to women to start their own work in the tourism sector. "Under this, women will be given assistance (grant) up to Rs 3 lakh to start homestays, food stalls, handicraft shops, or work as guides. In addition, self-help groups will be provided loans at low interest, women receiving tourism training will be given stipends, and women startups will be provided a matching grant of up to Rs 10 lakh," he said....