Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said efforts were afoot to link the rural tourism promotional activities with the ongoing MNREGA programme so that the rural masses generate better additional income.

"Linking the promotional activities with the MNREGA programme can directly benefit the rural masses in generating additional income at their door steps," he said at a book release here

Efforts are also being made to motivate ex-servicemen to set up Home Stay scheme units in their houses to not only generate income but also provide best of the hospitality and security to the visitors, he said.

The Home Stay scheme was launched to acquaint tourists with rural lifestyle, local cuisines, culture and tradition of the state.

The Coffee Table book, titled "Har Ghar Kuch Kahata Hai" (Every house has a story to tell), is brought out by the Tourism department and contains anecdotes on old heritage buildings in Shimla town.

Shimla happens to be an internationally famous tourist destination which had historical background and every house had its own story to tell which many peoples must be curious to know, he said.

The maiden endeavour of the Tourism Department will be supplemented by additional information and interesting facts and figures connected with the heritage of the century old houses in the town, he added.

Dhumal said Tourism contributed immensely to state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and engaged both unskilled and skilled manpower.

The state-run hotels had launched 'Beti Hai Anmol' scheme and offered one day free stay to attract parents to Himachal with their daughter. The book is the next step to generate curiosity among visitors and will be followed by 'Har Gaon Ki Kahani', a compilation of stories of villages with historical or heritage importance.

Dr Arun Kumar, Director of Tourism and Civil Aviation said the publication attempted at creating a new platform for tourists by way of and peeping through history, stories and folk lore.