Kangra’s Tourism Bounce‑Back: Record Post‑COVID Arrivals

When you stroll through the winding lanes of Dharamshala or watch paragliders lift off over Bir Billing, it’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago the region was almost deserted. The pandemic slammed the doors on tourism in Himachal, and for a long spell the hills seemed to sigh under the weight of silence.

Fast forward to July 2026 and the scene is almost unrecognisable. Hotels are snapping up bookings, roadside dhabas are humming with chatter, and the famous McLeod Ganjo‑Dharamshala stretch is teeming with both Indian families and curious foreigners. The tourism department’s latest numbers tell the story in plain terms: over 600,000 visitors in the first six months of the year – a record since the pandemic’s onset.

May alone saw roughly 125,000 domestic tourists and 3,544 overseas guests, a dramatic jump from the 65,000 locals and 1,750 foreigners recorded in the same month a year earlier. June wasn’t any quieter; domestic arrivals climbed to 153,000 and foreign arrivals nudged up to 2,012, beating the previous year’s figures by a comfortable margin.

What’s driving this surge? Industry insiders point to a confluence of factors. The ongoing conflict in West Asia has kept many Indian travellers wary of venturing abroad, prompting them to explore home‑grown destinations instead. "The tension abroad pushed people to look inward, and Kangra benefited enormously," says Vinay Dhiman, the district’s tourism development officer. Even with the geopolitical hiccup, foreign tourists are still showing up, though he notes the numbers could have been even higher without the unrest.

The attraction isn’t just natural beauty. Dharamshala now doubles as a sports tourism hub, hosting IPL fixtures and international cricket matches at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium – a venue praised for its scenic backdrop. Meanwhile, Bir Billing continues to draw adrenaline junkies as India’s paragliding capital.

Local business leaders are feeling the lift but are quick to flag challenges. Ashwani Bamba, president of the Dharamshala Hotel Association, remarks, "We’re thrilled, but the roads that link Dharamshala to McLeod Ganjo are still a mess. Until they’re fixed, we risk losing momentum." He stresses that sustained growth hinges on better infrastructure and continued promotion.

Looking back, the lows were stark: visitor counts fell to just 159,000 in the first half of 2020, dwindling further to 102,000 in 2021 before a modest recovery to 189,000 in 2022. The current trajectory, however, suggests Kangra is not merely recovering but perhaps surpassing its pre‑COVID peak. If the trend holds, the district could soon reclaim its spot as one of the most‑visited hill destinations in northern India.