With all parking spaces of Manali jam packed with
tourist vehicles, hotel occupancy risen to 70% and all tourist spots crowded
with tourists, October has brought with it smiles on faces of hoteliers and
thousands of locals linked to the tourism industry.
data from green tax barrier, the gateway to Manali, number of tourist vehicles
entering Manali has doubled only in last three days. The similar crowd of
tourists is expected to remain till Diwali festival while preparations are on
to host even more tourists during Dussehra festivity week starting from October
24 when occupancy rate is likely to reach 100%.
Solang, Rohtang,
Naggar, Manikaran, Hadimba temple, Vashisht and Old Manali, tourists have
thronged all tourist spots of the district. Tourists are having hard time while
finding space to park their car. “We had planned to visit Manali for its pleasant
weather and calm environment. But, we were welcomed by huge crowd,” visitor
from Allahabad, Manish Tiwari, said. He said he had planned his tour in October
after learning that it would be the off-season in Himachal.
facing unexpected traffic jams on way to Rohtang, Hadimba temple and Vashisht
which is spoiling their fun. Searching for a space for parking is another
challenge for tourists visiting Manali in their own cars. Long queues of
tourists are being witnessed at rafting and paragliding booking counters.
Many hotels in Manali are fully occupied and tourists are not getting room in hotel of their
choice. Harish and his wife Madhuri from New Delhi were told by their travel
agent that this is off-season in Manali and they would easily get hotel of
their choice but reality was quite different. “The hotel we wanted to stay in
was booked for many days and we had to book another one,” Harish said.
children from various schools and colleges of the country have reached Manali on
their educational tours while many more are on their way. Most of the students
are staying in camps outside the town. Shopkeepers too are cheering the crowded
markets.
Comments