Himachal | With heatwave scorching plains, tourists make a beeline for the hills

As the temperatures in the plains touch record highs, tourist season in Himachal starts a month in advance

With the plains in the grip of blistering heatwave conditions, tourist season the hill state of Himachal Pradesh has begun a month in advance as thousands make a beeline for colder climes.

However, this time the majority of the hotels run by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation are running at full capacity. (Deepak Sansta / HT)

While environmentalists fret over the climatic anomaly causing record-breaking heat in spring, Covid-beleaguered tourism-dependent businesses in the hill state are finally thriving after two years. “A lot of tourists are coming to Himachal this time,which is good for the industry that has suffered huge losses due to the coronavirus pandemic over the last two years,” says tourism director Amit Kashyap. Tourism contributes 7% to the state’s gross domestic product (SGDP). After the pandemic ended, the state was only able to draw 52 lakh tourists in the last financial year.

However, this time the majority of the hotels run by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation are running at full capacity. “Due to the long weekend, the occupancy of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPDTC) is full,” says assistant general manager at HPTDC’s flagship hotel Holiday Home in Shimla.

Congested roads and traffic problems

However, the tourist influx has increased congestion on the roads. Traffic snarls are a routine affair in Shimla these days. Traffic surveys suggest in peak hours, traffic volume varies from a minimum of 1,001 PCU ( passenger car equivalent)at Boileauganj Chowk to a maximum of 3,901 PCUs at victory tunnel. Similarly, during peak hours, traffic volume varies from a minimum of 812 PCUs at IGMC Chowk. With more than 35% of the local population depending on the public transport, 240 buses both government-owned and private ply on the roads.

Meanwhile, tour operators from Gujarat no longer prefer Shimla as a tourist destination after in the wake of increasing traffic problems and shortage of parking, the local administration had banned the entry of tourist buses in Shimla town, which makes it difficult for tourists to reach hotels.

Road repair adds to traffic snarls

Those associated with the hotel industry rue that delay in the road repair works was increasing traffic snarls. There is an urgent need to issue orders to ensure adequate water supply, to finish black toping roads from Shoghi to Dhalli on war footing to avoid traffic jams during the season.

“We need to formulate a proper traffic plan to avoid inconveniencing tourists as well as locals. It should be ensured that tourists are not fleeced over parking, and additional parking should be made available along roads, and notified well in time as is done every year,” says MK Seth, president, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Stakeholders association.

Irregular water supply.

Adding to tourist, and hoteliers’ woes is irregular water supply, in the wake of a prolonged dry spell. Natural water sources are gradually receding leading to water shortage in Shimla town. Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam has started water rationing much earlier. Due to the irregular water supply, hoteliers have deployed tankers to meet their requirements

Tourists preferring to stay outside Shimla

The ‘queen of hills’ is gradually losing its charm, with tourists from across the country preferring to holiday on the outskirts rather than spending time in town. Therefore, a large number of homestays have come up on the outskirt of Shimla, Mashobra, Kufri, Bharari, Koti, Chail Narkanda Fagu and Basantpur areas. “Tourists are preferring homestays outside Shimla as they cost less,and there are no traffic, and parking issues,”says Sanjay Sood, president, Shimla Hotel and Restaurateurs Association.

The tourist towns in Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Kasauli are fully booked. The usual hotel occupancy during the month of April varies from 30% to 35%, but this time it has gone up to 70- 80% due to long weekends. “ There is a huge tourist rush, but it is coupled with issues, as road tarring starts in summer, which causes great inconvenience to tourists,” says Anup Thakur, president Kullu-Manali Prayatna Vikas Mandal.