The tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh is experiencing a surge in hotel occupancy as tourists have started flocking the hill state for Christmas and New Year festivities.
As the fresh snowfall has given a fillip to the tourism industry, scores of tourists are heading to major destinations in the state such as Kullu-Manali, Shimla, Dharamshala, and other spots. According to hoteliers, hotel occupancy has started to increase and is expected to rise further in the coming days.
After a slowdown during the monsoon season, hotel occupancy saw a slight uptick in October and November and is anticipated to peak in the final days of December.
The dry spell in November and early December had impacted the tourism industry, but fresh spells of snowfall in many parts of the state, including Capital Shimla, is expected to draw a large number of tourists. The fresh spell of snowfall has also raised hopes of tourists celebrating white Christmas.
President of Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal Anup Thakur stated they anticipate a rise in tourist numbers for Christmas and New Year festivities. “The number of tourists is already increasing and we expect this trend to continue in the coming days. Higher reaches in Manali received a fresh snowfall which will benefit the tourism industry and people will celebrate white Christmas. We have been receiving numerous inquiries from tourists planning to visit for New Year celebrations as well. Snowfall is also predicted, which is likely to attract more visitors around the New Year.”
“The average hotel occupancy, which was around 25-30% in November, has now risen to approximately 50%. It is expected to further increase to 70-80% during the New Year period,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“The average hotel occupancy, which was around 25-30% in November, has now risen to approximately 50%. It is expected to further increase to 70-80% during the New Year period,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Pradeep Katoch, a hotelier in Lahaul said that the dry spell had resulted in fewer tourists visiting the area. “A fresh spell of light snowfall began on Monday and we expect more tourists to arrive on New Year’s Eve. If the snowfall continues in the coming days, it will undoubtedly boost the number of tourists here,” he said.
Dharamshala hotel association president, Ashwani Bamba, said that hotel occupancy is expected to exceed 60% around New Year’s eve. “While hotel occupancy is anticipated to remain around 40% during Christmas due to fewer bookings than expected, the recent snowfall in parts of the state is likely to have a positive impact on the tourism industry. We are now receiving more bookings and expect hotel occupancy to rise beyond 60% as we approach New Year,” he said.