Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Wednesday inaugurated the three-day long Shimla Flying Festival and Hospitality Expo-2024 here.

Speaking on the occasion, he encouraged parents to motivate their children to participate in adventure activities like paragliding which would contribute to the success of such festivals and also help boost adventure tourism in the state.

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“Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh was well acclaimed across the globe,” he said, expressing hope that this event would benefit the local tourism industry and bring economic growth to the region as well.

Shukla said the rich cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh was well known for its beautiful landscapes and diverse traditions.

“The apple farming had a Rs 5,500 crore economy and events like this would further support the state’s financial growth. Furthermore, the people of rural areas were getting the real benefits of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),” he said.

He urged local businesses to focus on improving production and finding new markets including international ones to help growth of MSMEs.

The Governor also raised concern about the growing drug menace in the state and appealed to everyone to work together to keep youth away from this vice.

He said this issue could not be tackled by the police alone and every section of the society needed to contribute to root out this evil.

Underlining the need for adopting healthy living, he said that the use of millets was being promoted in the country in a big way which had many health benefits.

He urged the people to generate awareness about the benefits of millets and encouraged farmers to adopt natural farming.

The Governor praised the efforts of the organizer of this event, The Glide Inn Director , Arun Rawat and his team for organizing this festival and promoting Junga as a tourist destination.

The Governor also administered an anti-drug pledge during the event.

Detailing about the Shimla Flying Festival and Hospitality Expo-2024,   Arun Rawat said that the event promises to be a landmark occasion, combining adventure, sports, tourism and hospitality under one roof.

During the event the presence of retired wrestlers Dalip Singh Rana, well known as  The Great Khali who hails from Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh will also be the main attraction on Thursday and is expected to draw a large number of fans.