|
An ambitious plan by a
great-grandson of Henry Ford to create an eco-friendly ski resort in
the heart of the Himalaya is nearing reality after a three-year
fight with Indian bureaucracy over the $350 million (£173 million)
scheme.
Building of the
Himalayan Ski Village, backed by Alfred Ford, the American
billionaire, is due to start within six months after the Government
approved a project report and prepared to clear an ecological impact
assessment.
Final approval by the
Environment Ministry is still required for the 115-acre luxury
development at Manali, billed as the largest foreign investment in
Indian tourism and the first planned mountain resort since the
British built hill station retreats during the Raj. However, its
promoters, who vow to put the state of Himachal Pradesh on the world
tourism map, are confident enough to have begun talks with banks on
initial debt funding of $70 million.
The promoters’ road to
the old hippy hangout of Manali has been bumpy. Their plans have
been attacked by environmentalists, politicians and even local gods.
Concessions included allowing day-trippers to ski, restricting
road-building and doing deals with village assemblies on drawing
water.
John Sims, the project’s
managing director, said: “It was extraordinarily difficult. [Indian
tourism] is apparently open, but actually to get through the
gauntlet of permissions is a most heartbreaking process.”
India has ski resorts at
Gulmarg, in Kashmir, and Auli, in Uttaranchal, but their
infrastructure and equipment are below international par. Himalayan
Ski Village aims to offer well-heeled domestic and foreign tourists
a five-star skiing experience at an all-year resort capable of
hosting a Winter Olympic Games.
The development,
modelled on American resorts such as Aspen and Vail, will have 700
hotel rooms, priced at $200 to $800 a night, conference facilities,
shops, restaurants, an entertainment centre and a luxury spa. An
extensive ski area will be served by a network of chairlifts and
gondolas to an altitude of 4,300 metres. Its first skiers are
expected in 2010.
Mr Sims said: “The
Himalayas have a huge cachet. They’re awe-inspiring, spiritually
moving and offer a different kind of experience. I think there is a
big demand for that.”
Environmental
campaigners have fought the scheme, which they say will displace
40,000 people and upset the scenic Kullu Valley’s fragile ecology.
The state government is
set to net $7 million a year in tax from the resort. The project
will employ more than 3,500 people, three quarters of them from
nearby villages. Nearly 40 locals have been sent to Finland to train
as ski instructors. Others are enrolled in a new hospitality
management school. The project’s backers have pledged to repair and
build temples, provide civic amenities, promote community tourism
and use the latest energy-conservation technologies.
In the face of
opposition from the valley gods - who, through an oracle, “advised”
against the project - the promoters even talked up Mr Ford’s Hindu
credentials. The American motor empire scion is married to an
Indian, spurns meat and alcohol and is known as Ambarish Das among
fellow devotees of Lord Krishna.
Passage to tourism
—The Himalaya are
considered skiing’s final frontier. Despite the dangers (Kashmir is
the one of the world’s most heavily militarized zones), adventurous
skiers are drawn by the soaring peaks, plenty of powder and empty
slopes
—Manali, a hill station
close to the snowline, has become a popular base for heli-skiing,
trekking and mountaineering. Nearly four million tourists visit the
state of Himachal Pradesh each year and the number is rising by 15
per cent a year
—Foreign tourist
arrivals to India last year hit a record 4.4 million, generating
revenues of nearly $7 billion. India’s tourism industry is forecast
to grow at 10 per cent a year for the next decade, to be worth $90
billion
—Indian tourism projects
are open to foreign investment and enjoy a ten-year tax holiday. The
sector is expected to attract more than $11 billion of investment
over the next two years. Growth areas include medical tourism,
wildlife tourism and pilgrimage tourism
Sources: India
Tourism Ministry, IBEF, Times research | 