Tag: hotels in shimla manali

Battered by unexpected slowdown in tourism industry, all the trades beginning from hotel industry to taxi or adventure industry of Himachal have dropped their service charges up to 50% to be able to breathe in the suffocating atmosphere of recession. Manoj Kumar, a hotel contractor from Garhwal, broke his lease with two hotels two years in advance. He believes that operating hotel is no more the affair of profit. “I suffered huge losses. I’m not able to meet the expenses of staff and other running costs. Hotel is empty and the peak summer season which used to last for more than two years was observed only for 20 days in June this year.” Similar are the comments from most of the hoteliers. Not only early arrival of the monsoon and disaster in Uttarakhand but the tourism entrepreneurs attributes this sudden slowdown to weak marketing of tourism of the state by government. The only way out of this situation is big discounts. Hoteliers are offering big discounts on room tariff to entice the guests. Even the fare of taxi and luxury buses has decreased to attract customers. Now that season for trekking and adventure activities has begun, travel agents are trying to stay on track by offering big rebates. “Advertisement of Himachal tourism may put a big impact on the industry as now the fight is between states and we are lagging behind in marketing,” laments Gajender Thakur, a hotelier and former president of hoteliers association here who is allowing flat 50% discount in his hotel. He said tourism in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh is booming with the help of advertisements and the Himachal Tourism Development Board had once suggested making Kangana Ranaut, the Himachal girl, the brand ambassador of Himachal which could not be implemented. Manali town is full with