Monsoon dampens Himachal’s tourism, hotel occupancy plunges

Hoteliers in Dharamshala said during the peak tourism season, which starts from mid-April till the first week of July, the hotel occupancy rates remain higher

The onset of monsoon has brought with it a decline in tourist arrivals in Himachal, with hotel occupancy rates dropping significantly.

Hotel occupancy has dropped to around 25 to 30% across major destinations in Himachal. (HT )

Hotels, normally abuzz with vacationers and adventurers during the busiest summer months, are currently dealing with significantly reduced occupancy rates that have dropped to around 25 to 30%. As the weather has become unpredictable with monsoon showers lashing the parts of the state, the tourist arrival has declined.

Hoteliers in Dharamshala said during the peak tourism season, which starts from mid-April till the first week of July, the hotel occupancy rates remain higher.

Dharamshala Hotel association president Ashwani Bamba said the decline in tourists is evident in Dharamshala as well. “It is because of the arrival of the rainy season and the end of summer holidays in some states. The hotel occupancy on weekdays has come down to 20-25% and on weekends it is around 40% which is much lower than around 80% witnessed in June. This will continue till the second week of September and then we are expecting more tourist arrivals which we call Diwali season,” he said.

Last year’s havoc on tourists’ minds

Hoteliers also said last year’s disaster is still on tourist’s minds and they are being cautious about travelling to Himachal during the monsoon season.

Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal president Anup Thakur said even though the weather is still pleasant in Manali, tourists seem to be hesitant to travel because of the rainy season.

“There is still fear given last year’s monsoon havoc on the minds of tourists. We still receive queries but tourists seem to be cautious this year. The hotel occupancy in Manali has dipped to average 20-25% now which was almost 100% in June when hotels were packed by tourists,” he said.

Foreign tourists also traditionally throng the region at this time, but the number of foreigners has also come down this year.

Thakur also said he would suggest to the government that the Udan scheme should be applicable to all air services from Kullu, especially from Delhi and Chandigarh, so that it would become easier for tourists to arrive here.

Paragliding suspended for two months

Meanwhile, due to the arrival of monsoon, the tourism department in Kangra has decided to suspend the paragliding activities for two months starting July 15. Officials said a ban had been imposed to avoid paragliding mishaps, which could occur due to inclement weather during the monsoon and is a usual practice.

A few days ago, Himachal’s tourism and civil aviation department had clarified that the majority of the roads across the state remain open and accessible for tourists and the general public despite recent rainfall.

The department clarified that while some roads in certain areas have been affected by the recent weather conditions, the majority of them remain open.

“Key tourist destinations including Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, continue to welcome visitors. The Himachal Pradesh government has taken all the necessary measures to ensure the safety and convenience of the tourists,” the department said.