Himachal Pradesh is embarking on an innovative way of selling its rural destinations. It will be banking on 12 popular legends — one each from 12 districts — which will hard sell Himachal Pradesh’s rural tourism. It will launch a first-of-its-kind effort to document folk stories and famous tales to find their roots to temples, remote places and also pious water bodies as per a report in Indian Express by Aswani Sharma.

All the 12 stories, complied in a book called Har Gaon Ki Kahani, will be launched on August 19 by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at a workshop organised by state tourism department in Shimla.

“I have called all tour operators, block development officers, DCs, SDMs, hoteliers, gram pradhans and representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions, zila parishad chairmen and travel writers for a brainstorming session to draw up a strategy to hard sell Himachal’s potential in rural tourism. We will also unveiled plans on different rural circuits,” said Director (Tourism) Arun Sharma.

Broadly, the scheme’s main objectives are to develop rural infrastructure in the state, diversify tourism into new areas, create employment opportunities among the youths and to market the hidden rural cultural heritage nationally as well as internationally. “Recently it was adjudged as the best initiative for promoting rural tourism in the country in Bangalore. Har Gaon Ki Kahani dwells on the rich reservoir of unending stories scattered throughout the state,” said Sharma.