After two-year low, New Year revellers head for the hills again

For two years, they’ve sung a rather downhearted ditty. This year around, before New Year’s Eve, Lonavla-Khandala and Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani are buzzing with tourists, reports Satyajit Joshi.

For two years, they’ve sung a rather downhearted ditty. This year around, before New Year’s Eve, Lonavla-Khandala and Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani are buzzing with tourists.

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The twin hill stations in western Maharashtra are gearing up to welcome tourists by the hordes.

Already revellers have begun streaming in to usher in the New Year.

“Bookings were satisfactory during Christmas,” trilled Kamal Bajaj, treasurer of Lonavla-Khandala Hotel Association. “It was a good beginning and we expect much better business this time.”

Most of the hotels, resorts and even private bungalows at both hill stations have already been occupied with the police finding it difficult to monitor vehicular movement at the twin towns.

The hill stations have seen a rough patch during the last two years — first, it was the economic slowdown and last year, it was the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

With the economy showing signs of recovery, things are looking up, and the two favourite weekend spots for revellers from Mumbai and Pune are heavily booked.

The prolonged holiday season that begun with Christmas is expected to continue till January 3.

“Hotel bookings are almost full,” said Suryakant Jadhav, president of Mahabaleshwar Hotel Owners Association. “Tourists are again visiting this place after the downturn and swine flu. It’s quite a solace.”

Jadhav admitted that business at the hill station had been badly affected for the last two years.

“We’re hoping for some good business this year,” he said.

The hill station, popular for its strawberries, has recorded an entry of as many as 60,000 vehicles last Sunday. Local businessmen said they expected the number of vehicles to cross 1 lakh on December 31.

Closer home, Lonavla and Khandala, too, have witnessed similar crowds.

“Most tourists are from Mumbai. Youngsters and teenagers are fewer in number this time,” said tourist guide Rohit Kamtekar. “This is a good opportunity for us to revive business, which has been quite slack.”

To preempt traffic jams, a familiar bottleneck, on the narrow Lonavla-Khandala road, the Pune district police have banned entry of heavy vehicles in Lonavla city.

Besides, strict checking of vehicles is being conducted, particularly to check drink driving.