Weekend tourism has taken a hit in flood-affected Himachal Pradesh that has been on rain alert since the first weekend of July. Hotel occupancy in popular destinations of the state is barely 1% to 5% during weekends when it normally used to be between 60% and 80%.
Tourists have cancelled their bookings due to the floods and warnings by authorities. Road traffic has been disrupted at several places, including Kullu-Manali, due to landslides, while the Kalka-Shimla toy train service has been suspended till August 6 due to damaged tracks caused by flooding from July 8 to 11.
Road, rail disruptions
The otherwise bustling Shimla town now wears a deserted look with hotel occupancy registering a footfall of merely 1% to 2%. Mohinder Seth, the president of the Tourism Stakeholders Association admits that cancellation of bookings after the floods has hit the industry hard. He blamed the road and rail disruptions for the poor arrivals. “We are relying on local customers. With no tourists, it has become difficult to pay our staff salary,” says Surender Patyal, who runs a dhaba in Shimla’s Middle Bazaar.
The authorities are closely monitoring the situation and urging travellers to exercise caution while planning trips to the hills. Rescue and relief teams are on standby to respond promptly to any emergency.
{{/usCountry}}The authorities are closely monitoring the situation and urging travellers to exercise caution while planning trips to the hills. Rescue and relief teams are on standby to respond promptly to any emergency.
{{/usCountry}}Tourists are advised to stay updated about the weather and exercise caution when venturing into flood-prone areas. “Tourist vehicles crossing barriers into the state is negligible,” says Shimla superintendent of police Sanjeev Gandhi.
Manali, known to attract backpackers and honeymooners, is seeing a weekend hotel occupancy of only 5%. Many hotels in the flood-ravaged town have closed their businesses. “ Tourism has been hit very adversely,” said Mukesh Thakur, the president of the Manali Hoteliers Association. There are nearly 15,000 tourist units in and around Manali town.
Kasol turns silent valley
Kasol in the Parvati Valley, a favourite spot for foreign and domestic tourists alike, has been severely affected. The region witnessed heavy rainfall, triggering landslides. The government evacuated around 70,000 tourists, with about 10,000 stranded in Kasol, which has 300 tourism units. The hotel occupancy in Kasol is nil due to poor road conditions after the landslides. “Roads coinnecting Kasol are still blocked beyond Barshaini. Restoration work is on but it will take time,” says Hukum Thakur, the vice-president of the hotel association.
The authorities are seeking suggestions to revive the tourism sector.
Atharva Chadha, the owner of a chain of hotels in Shimla and Chamba, highlights that Shimla has non-flood-prone destinations, such as Chail, Kufri, Narkanda, and Kasauli, which could be promoted to attract tourists.