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Delay in clearing snow-blocked roads cost tourism industry dear, claim HP hoteliers
This winter Himachal witnessed a number of snow spells, which should have brought tourists to the hill state in droves. However, hoteliers claim the government’s
This winter Himachal witnessed a number of snow spells, which should have brought tourists to the hill state in droves. However, hoteliers claim the government’s inability to deal with roadblocks in a timely fashion cost them a good chunk of business.
A travel agent, Prem Sagar, says, “Initially, a good number of tourists visited Himachal. However, as the winter chill increased, there was a slump in the tourism sector.”
Hoteliers claim that this winter brought an average tourist rush despite Kashmir being shutdown after the abrogation of Article 370. “The hotel occupancy in Shimla in January vacillated between 50% to 60%,” says Sanjay Sood, president, Shimla Hotelier and Restaurateur Association.
Sood says, “Most tourists prefer staying on the outskirts of Shimla. However, the hotels on the outskirts were unable to do much business either as the roads were slippery and hard to navigate.”
“On a number of occasions, tourists were stranded on the blocked roads and the police and district administration had to rescue them,” said Shimla Taxi Union president Naresh Verma: “We are disappointed as business could have been better had the government been prompt in clearing the snow-blocked roads.”
Most tourists, who would have ordinarily headed to Kashmir to catch a glimpse of snow, visited Kullu and Manali instead.
“At first, hotel occupancy in Manali was between 50% to 70%. However, most tourists returned when the roads remained closed for days,” says Gajender Thakur, president, Manali Hotelier and Restaurant Association: “We could have benefitted had the roads been opened in time as more tourists would have visited.”
Hoteliers now are expecting an increase in tourism after the Delhi elections, says Manali-based hotelier Ashish Shashni.
The Novel Coronavirus outbreak has also hit tourism-dependent businesses in the state. Tourists have been avoiding Dharamshala, which is home to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, and is visited by a large number Chinese and South Asian devotees.
A hotelier, Ashwani Sharma, says, “Tourism in winter is always lean in Dharamshala and occupancy never goes beyond 30-40%. Coronavirus scare has also hit the industry.”
