Finding a place to stay in the remote and far-flung areas would no longer be a problem, especially for trekkers and wildlife lovers, as accommodation will be made available in 400 forest rest houses the booking for which will shortly be provided on the website of the Himachal Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). The Forest Department will tie up with the HPTDC to renovate 400 of its forest houses located in the most idyllic and vantage locations so that eco-tourism could be given a boost. The HPTDC will be entrusted the task of renovating the rest houses so that they can be thrown open to tourists who at times find it difficult to find accommodation in remote areas. Forest minister J.P. Nadda said that there would be a tie-up with the HPTDC to put information about these 400 forest rest houses on its website. "The forest authorities will prepare details of all major trekking routes which will be put on the HPTDC website along with available accommodation,' he informed. He said trekkers and nature lovers faced great difficulty in finding accommodation in the remote areas so it had been decided to throw open the forest rest houses for everyone. This would not only generate income for the department but also help give a major boost to tourism. The HPTDC would renovate 400 rest houses and provide all facilities required by travellers from the hospitality point of view. The income generated from the rest houses would go to the Forest Department while the HPTDC would be paid the cost for undertaking renovation. Another innovative scheme being prepared is to lease out 300 camping sites for putting up tented accommodation along the national highways, main roads and arterial roads to cooperative societies formed by the educated unemployed youth. This will again give a boost to tourism and provide employment to the youth, especially in the rural areas. It is the Forest Corporation which will undertake the task of identifying the camping sites. Each of these 300 sites will be developed as a camping site having provision for putting up about six tents for travellers. The income so generated will remain with the Forest Corporation. "These sites will only be reserved for the cooperatives formed by educated unemployed youth as unemployment is a major issue,' said Nadda. Though there is immense potential for wildlife and eco-tourism in Himachal but the state has failed to promote it like Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. The state has 32 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks, but in the absence of proper accommodation and other infrastructure, tourists find it difficult to visit these areas.