Poor AQI in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi drives tourists to Himachal

Hotel occupancy in Shimla and its outskirts was 80% over the weekend, while during weekdays it was a considerable 40%

With the air quality index (AQI) in the plains of North India at dangerous levels, visitors from neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Delhi are headed uphill to Himachal Pradesh for a breather from the pollution.

Tourists enjoying the clear weather in Shimla amid poor air quality index in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi over the weekend. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

Tourist resorts in the hill state are seeing an unusual rush and those associated with the travel and hospitality sectors are upbeat with the rise in footfall, particularly after a lean patch due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hotel occupancy in Shimla and its outskirts was up to 80% over the weekend, while during weekdays it was a considerable 40%. “The occupancy during the week is encouraging. The AQI is worsening in cities and people want to enjoy the pleasant weather so they are headed to the hills. For us, it is like a fresh start of our business post the pandemic that crippled operations for two years,” said Rashit Malhotra, a Shimla-based hotelier.

Visitors were happy to be amid lush hills and dense forests far from the pollution in the plains. “It’s been a refreshing experience. We are fortunate to be in Shimla to be able to enjoy the fresh air,” said Mumbai-based Sirda, a tourist who goes by one name.

Another tourist, Themmung Mangkung from Manipur, said the clean environment reminded him of his native state. “However, I live in Chandigarh, which is a clean city but the AQI has dipped there too in recent days. I was in Delhi during Diwali festival and it was suffocating. I had difficulty breathing, but here all is well,” he said.

Charanjeet Singh from Ambala, who was in Shimla along with his family, said: “The weather and air quality in Ambala are poor nowadays. It’s a relief to be in the hills”.

According to the state tourism department, nearly 1.8 crore domestic and foreign tourists visit Himachal Pradesh annually. The tourism industry is the backbone of the state’s economy.

In 2019, nearly 1.7 crore tourists, including more than 3.82 lakh foreign tourists, visited the state with a jump of nearly 5% in comparison to 2018. For the last two years, the tourism sector has been closed due to the pandemic and tourism activities have now started to pick up again.