From correspondents in Himachal Pradesh, India, 04:01 PM IST

Himachal Pradesh will offer a discount of 30 percent on hotel room tariff from next month to physically challenged people who opt to stay at any of its 57 economy and high-end establishments.

'We are offering a discount of 30 percent to guests with physical disabilities from December 3 (World Disability Day) and will continue till December 20,' said Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp (HPTDC) managing director Subhashish Panda.

Handicapped guests can also pay for two days and stay for three nights, Panda told IANS, adding: 'HPTDC will bear the lodging expenses for the third day.'

There will be no discount on the food and beverages consumed, Panda clarified.

Earlier, HPTDC had offered special discounts to parents staying at a state-run hotel with a daughter and to people aged 60 years or more.

'In both schemes, we got an overwhelming response. So we decided to offer special discounts for disabled people too before the end of this year,' Panda said.

Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh last year attracted 9.37 million domestic and 367,000 foreign tourists.

Kullu and Manali are tourist hotspots, followed by Shimla and Dharamsala.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)