Himachal Tourism – News, Trends & Packages (2024)

On this page, we shall keep you updated about the latest Himachal Tourism trends, Himachal Tourism news, views from hoteliers and travel agents and tour guides and packages of Himachal Pradesh.

2,000 tourists stranded in 500 vehicles rescued from Atal tunnel

Updated on December 30, 2022

Nearly 500 vehicles carrying over 2,000 tourists that were stranded at Atal tunnel following snowfall were rescued in the late night operations that lasted for eight hours from 5pm to 1am on Thursday.

A large number of tourist vehicles were stranded at both south and north portals of Atal tunnel following snowfall which made the road slippery on Thursday afternoon. While vehicles from north side were sent towards south side, vehicles started skidding on the steep road between the tunnel and Dhundi nullah, causing a long traffic jam. The vehicles eventually got stuck. Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti police helped the tourists and drivers in getting their vehicles to safe places. The last vehicle was sent towards Solang valley at about 1am.

As many as 5,640 vehicles carrying tourists had entered Lahaul valley from Manali via Atal tunnel on Thursday to see snow and snowfall. 5,548 vehicles exited the tunnel towards Manali from Thursday 8am to Friday 8am. As the snow started accumulating on the road surface, vehicles started skidding and it became very difficult to drive by late evening. While some people, mostly local taxi drivers, managed to negotiate through the steep curves between the tunnel and Dhundi nullah, hundreds of other vehicles got stuck when many vehicles skid on the road and jammed it.

Although the administration stopped traffic towards Atal tunnel, it was already too late. Lahaul-Spiti police started sending vehicles from Lahaul towards Manali. However, they could not move ahead due to traffic congestion at south portal of the tunnel where cops were allowing vehicles to move ahead one by one to prevent them from colliding with each other.

At 8:45pm, Lahaul-Spiti SP Manav Verma informed: “Nearly 100 vehicles that had stranded at the north portal of tunnel due to snowfall and traffic congestion at south portal have been sent towards the south portal. SHO Keylong is monitoring the safe traffic movement. The tourists are also being guided about how to drive on snow.”

Manali SDM Surender Thakur said nearly 250 vehicles were stuck between the tunnel and Dhundi nullah by 9pm. “Nearly 40 four-wheel-drive vehicles from Manali were sent towards the tunnel for help. Manali DSP and tehsildar were monitoring the situation on the spot. ,” he said.

At 11:33pm, Lahaul-Spiti SP again informed that rescue operation was still underway with joint efforts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu police.

He informed at 1am that the last vehicle had been sent towards Manali. He said more than 400 vehicles have been evacuated and no vehicle was left behind.

On Friday morning, the SP informed that the Manali-Atal tunnel-Keylong highway is covered with a thick layer of snow and the road is blocked completely for all vehicles. The SP said some tourists had left the tunnel after leaving behind their vehicles. He said the owners of the vehicles should come to the tunnel only after getting road condition from the police.

The Atal tunnel has become the main tourist attraction of Manali which is being visited by thousands of people. Being situated at 10,000ft, it has also become a popular snow point where the possibility of watching snow and snowfall remains very high.

While the Atal tunnel has been projected as the most modern and safest traffic tunnel in the country, the road leading to the tunnel from Manali side becomes most dangerous even after an inch of snowfall. Nearly 3km road from Dhundi nullah to the tunnel is very steep with hairpin bends where vehicles start skidding. Vehicles fail to negotiate through even a thin layer of snow and ice. Tourists, who are not familiar with snow-driving, are terrified when vehicles go out of control and start skidding in any direction with gravity.

Book rooms in advance to avoid last moment problems: Manali hoteliers to tourists

Updated on December 29, 2022

The hoteliers have urged tourists to book their hotels in advance to avoid last moment availability problems as thousands of tourists from different states have made a beeline for Manali for New Year celebrations.

The Chandigarh-Manali national highway is already busy with an unprecedented traffic rush. The roads in Kullu-Manali and its tourist places have started giving up before the traffic. The roads will see peak traffic on December 30 to January 1 when a record number of tourists are expected here. As most good hotels are already booked in advance, tourists heading to different local places without advance booking may have to face problems. So, hoteliers have requested tourists to book their rooms in advance.

“We are expecting a record-high number of tourists in next few days. Kullu-Manali has adequate number of hotels, guesthouses and homestays but there can be availability issues at some most preferred places. The walk-in clients may have to move from one hotel to another. However, they will definitely get rooms after some effort. So, it’s better to book in advance,” Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association president Gajender Thakur said.

Tourists are coming for long stays and most of them will return back after new year celebrations. Most tourists are coming in their private cars or taxis. The traffic on most roads is moving very slowly, especially in the morning and evening time.

Even the tourist bus stand has no place to park more buses. Over one hundred luxury buses that came from Delhi filled the parking, and other buses were being parked by the roadsides.
Not only the hotels in and near town and at main locations are being booked on priority, but tourists are also heading to remote locations away from the main towns. The hoteliers are getting good tariffs for their rooms. They will offer upto 50 per cent discount on room rents from January 2 onwards.

District administration and police have prepared a roadmap to tackle the tourist crowd in the next three days from Friday onwards. The entire Manali has been divided into eight sectors for easy traffic management. As there are possibilities of snowfall, officials have been asked to keep the highways clear and operational.

Tourist inflow in Shimla, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and other tourist places has also increased. Extra police forces have been deployed for traffic management and to maintain law and order. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has asked officials to make all necessary arrangements so that tourists need not face problems in the state.

Restaurants, dhabas to remain open 24X7 till January 2, 2022

Updated on December 27, 2022

Himachal government on Tuesday (27th December) decided that all the restaurants, dhabas, tea stalls and eateries etc in the state would remain open 24X7 as per the will of the owners till the night of 2nd January 2023 to facilitate the tourists visiting the state.

The decision in this respect was taken by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on the request and suggestion of MLA Shimla Harish Janartha, MLA Manali Bhuvneshwar Gaur and MLA Kasauli Vinod Sultanpuri in Shimla today.

Chief Minister said this decision of the Himachal government has been taken keeping in view the ongoing tourist season to facilitate the tourists visiting the state. He said that the government may consider continuing this arrangement provided the owners of these establishments maintain proper law and order.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also urged the tourists to adopt Covid-19 appropriate behaviour keeping in view the impending situation in the neighbouring countries.

Record 19.3k vehicles cross Atal tunnel in 24 hours

Updated on December 26, 2022

With record 19,383 vehicles using the Atal tunnel from its both ends in just 24 hours from Sunday 8am to Monday 8am, the Christmas holidays have been fruitful for hoteliers, taxi operators and other businesses.

The Atal tunnel, which was opened for civilians on October 3, 2020, has proved to be a boon for tourism in Manali and Lahaul valley. After Rohtang pass, this 9.02km-long tunnel at an altitude of 10,020ft has remained the main attraction for tourists besides being one of the most visited tourist spots in Himachal. While 10,519 vehicles had used the tunnel from Saturday 8am to Sunday 8am, the number of vehicles using the tunnel almost doubled on Christmas Day with 19,383 vehicles entering and exiting the tunnel.

According to Lahaul-Spiti police, 4,569 vehicles registered in other states entered the tunnel from the south portal and 3,496 vehicles entered the tunnel from its north portal. Similarly, 6,120 vehicles including tourist taxis registered in Himachal entered the tunnel from south portal and 5,198 vehicles entered the tunnel from north portal in 48 hours.

Similarly, thousands of vehicles used the tunnel on Monday. However, the exact data will be available on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, traffic mismanagement was also witnessed at tunnel. Not just outside the tunnel, but traffic jams were witnessed even inside the safest traffic tunnel in the country. The tunnel has just two lanes with one lane for each side movement and there is no space for overtaking inside the tunnel. Miscreant tourists created chaos in the tunnel and forcibly started overtaking dangerously with no space left for vehicles coming from the opposite direction. It resulted in a traffic jam on Monday. According to local people, while vehicles with HP registration plate were in one queue, the second queue on wrong lane had vehicles from other states.

As thousands of private vehicles from other states have reached Manali, many of them are not following the traffic rules, and are jumping the traffic queues. Overspeed with rash driving is resulting in arguments, clashes and road rages.
As even more traffic rush is expected during New Year Eve, Kullu deputy commissioner Ashutosh Garg on Monday chaired a meeting with officials and office bearers of taxis unions, hoteliers association, travel agents association, Volvo bus and other unions and associations to chalk out a traffic plan.

“To ensure smooth traffic and law and order, Manali has been divided into eight sectors. Adequate police and home guard jawans will be deployed in each sector. The buses after deboarding passengers will not be allowed to park by roadsides and will be sent nearly 6-7km outside the town in open space. Officials will make sure that roads remain open even during snowfall,” the DC said.

With no Covid curbs, Himachal abuzz with tourists on New Year eve

Updated on December 31, 2021

With tourists struggling to get rooms in hotels and no space left to park the vehicles, the New Year celebrations have left the tourist places abuzz with the tourist crowd.

As there is no Covid-19 related restriction in Himachal, the tourists from other states have thronged here for New Year celebrations. Most hotels in Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kasol, Jibhi, Tirthan, Kasauli and other hill stations are fully occupied. At many places, including Shimla and Manali, tourists were not getting rooms in hotels easily and were forced to go to rural areas to book the hotels and guesthouses.

Thousands of vehicles from other states have entered Himachal on Friday. Most of the roads again remained jammed or traffic was moving slowly. In Manali, police had to announce through public address system not to visit Solang and Atal tunnel side where traffic had come to a grinding halt.

The hoteliers in the state are doing brisk business for a week now while New Year eve brought fortune to almost every property. Most hotels organised special New Year parties for their guests along with bone fire and DJ. The Himachal Tourism’s hotels also threw special parties for their guests. The department organised a special event at its Manali based club house where various competitions like dance and New Year queen contest were organised for tourists.

Special musical dance event was organised for tourists on the mall road in Manali by the administration where thousands of tourists danced together on Friday late evening.

The traffic jams again spoiled the holiday fun of most of the tourists who could not make it to Atal tunnel and Lahaul valley and had to return back from midway. Many kilometers-long traffic jam prevented many tourists from going close to snow. Despite this, as many as 6,376 vehicles used Atal tunnel on Friday till 5:20pm. Thousands of tourists thronged Lahaul valley to enjoy the snow.

Kullu SP Gurdev Sharma said besides district police more than 200 extra police force and home guards have been deployed at different tourist destinations of Kullu-Manali to ensure smooth traffic movement during New Year eve. “Police teams and some volunteers are also deployed to ensure that tourists wear the masks,” he said.

68,000 vehicles use Atal tunnel in December

As many as 68,548 vehicles had used Atal tunnel to travel between Manali and Lahaul and no accident was reported from the tunnel in the month of December, police said.

Lahaul-Spiti superintendent of police Manav Verma said December has remained no accident month for Atal tunnel. “While 44,533 vehicles had entered and exited the tunnel in December 2020, 68,548 vehicles used the tunnel this year in December which is nearly 24,000 more than last year. Out of the total vehicles traversing the tunnel this year, 22,918 vehicles were from other states. Administration is continuously increasing the parking capacity near Atal tunnel while cops are not sparing the traffic violators. 219 vehicles have been challaned mostly for idle parking in December,” he said.

The SP said that December has been very challenging for cops to regulate and monitor the traffic under sub-zero temperatures and slippery road conditions following snowfall and formation of black ice. “The cops deployed at tunnel, Sissu and Keylong have been working tirelessly to ensure a pleasant and safe visit to Lahaul valley. The Border Roads Organisation personnel are also ensuring that roads are fit to travel,” he said.

Rohtang pass closes for civilian movement in winter season

Manali abuzz again with tourist crowd

Updated on November 07, 2021

Decreasing cases of Covid-19 across the country and availability of snow on the higher regions including Rohtang pass are tempting people from other states to visit the hill stations, especially Manali.

After witnessing a lean business for three months, Manali is again abuzz with tourist crowd. Tourists from all the states are heading to Manali these days but majorities of tourists are from Gujarat. Hoteliers attribute the sudden rise in footfall to snowfall and control in Covid-19 cases. A similar tourist rush is expected till mid-December and Manali is expected to remain jam-packed after mid-December to early January during Christmas and New Year.

A hotelier Kamlesh Thakur said, “We are witnessing a good number of tourists after a long time. Tourists had disappeared from the state after incidents of landslides and floods in monsoon season. The expected third wave was another reason to keep them away from hill state. Now that weather is pleasant, peaks are covered with snow and experts deny the possibility of third-wave anytime soon, people have started enjoying their trips without worry.”

Hoteliers say these days every second tourist in Himachal is from Gujarat. Some of the good hotels are almost fully occupied while some have more than 50 per cent occupancy. Tourist crowd has returned to Rohtang, Atal tunnel, Koksar, Solang valley, Hidimba temple, Manikaran, Kasol, Jibhi and other tourist destinations.

Taxi operators also have good business after a long time. More than 800 taxis are reaching Rohtang pass alone besides other destinations. As only 400 diesel engine vehicles are permitted to go to Rohtang for tourism purpose on daily basis, all the permits are being booked in advance.

Paragliding, horse riding, river rafting, river crossing, and other activity operators are extremely busy the whole day. Rohtang pass and Koksar are the current snow points where thousands of tourists are enjoying in snow. Both Rohtang and Koksar will be shut for tourists soon after snowfall for safety reasons. However, officials say tourists will be allowed to visit Rohtang as long as it’s safe for them.

Manali SDM Surender Thakur said, “Tourists are visiting to see Rohtang pass and also snow at Rohtang. Respecting sentiments of both tourists and local stakeholders, Rohtang pass will be kept open until driving to the pass becomes unsafe. I’m myself monitoring the tourist movement to Rohtang and checking the safety measures. The driving conditions can be risky after snowfall and icing on the road. But, these days tourist movement is smooth.”

Thakur added that Manali is the face of Himachal Pradesh but increasing cases of littering and piles of garbage at some places are matter of concern. “Our next mission will be to make Manali garbage free tourist destination. I’m personally taking interest in this issue,” he added.

Landslide, flood scare mar Himachal tourism

Updated on August 05, 2021

The hotel occupancy in Himachal has suddenly dipped from nearly 50 per cent to less than 10 per cent in less than a month following incidents of landslides and flashfloods. Hoteliers believe there are no signs of spike in tourist footfall until monsoon season is over.

Monsoon remaining normal this season, a large number of incidents of landslides and flashfloods have been reported in the last few weeks. Frequent blocking of the highways and many people losing their lives have sent a scare through the tourists who now feel unsafe to head to the hills in rainy season. Many tourists have cancelled their tours, some postponed and others are not able to take decision. Very few tourists are visiting hill stations and most hotels are either empty or have occupancy rate of less than five per cent.

“Playing with mist and rain, mountains can be seen at their best in monsoon season. But recent incidents of landslides and floods in some parts of Himachal have scared tourists. It all started with flash floods in McLeod Ganj and then in some other parts. Monsoon has dented the tourism business which was going smoothly. Most hotels have almost zero occupancy. Mostly long-staying guests are in the state. We expect good footfall again after few days,” a hotelier Vimpy Bakshi said.

Hoteliers say every tourist asks about probability of blocking of the roads before confirming the booking. Helpless hoteliers are failing in convincing the tourists. Still there are some visitors who are well aware about the mood of the mountains in rainy season and are heading to different hill stations without caring for weather forecast.

Manali Hoteliers Association general secretary Ajay Thakur said, “Negative stories spread very fast. And this is what happened to Himachal. The information about landslides and flashfloods, both true and fake, spread very fast across the nation. It’s impact was such a vast that tourists forgot that monsoon makes hills more beautiful and it’s the good time to enjoy nature. Most hotels are reporting that either they don’t have booking or have booking for just one, two or three rooms.”

Hoteliers were opposing government earlier this year for making RT-PCR report mandatory for tourists to enter the state during second wave of Covid-19. The state has again made it mandatory for all those who don’t have received any dose of Covid. This time most hoteliers are welcoming the move as majority of people have received at least one dose. And they believe that this move will help prevent complete lockdown in case of sudden spike in the cases.

HP deploys dedicated force to enforce Covid appropriate behaviour

Updated on July 10, 2021

Himachal police on Saturday ordered to deploy dedicated force to enforce Covid appropriate behaviour in tourist places Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Kasauli, Dalhousie and Atal tunnel where tourists are not adhering to the Covid safety norms.

The major tourist places of Himachal are witnessing good number of tourists. Despite repeated warning and challans, tourists are not wearing face masks and are gathering at congested places. After gathering various inputs and fearing its consequences, the state police chief Sanjay Kundu has ordered to deploy dedicated force to enforce the norms.

“The jawans of all the reserve battalions have been asked to report to concerned district SPs on Sunday. Initially, they will be deployed at tourist hot spot areas of the state till August 31. The district police have been asked to make proper arrangement for their stay at safe place while following the Covid-19 guidelines. After reaching the concerned station, the jawans will enforce Covid appropriate behaviour,” Kundu said.

The police have already warned tourists that they will be fined upto Rs 5,000 or eight-day jail under HP Police Act 115 for not wearing face mask. However, tourists are not following any Covid-19 safety protocols. A large number of tourists are roaming around without mask and are ignoring police warning. Although making social distancing is impossible in congested tourist places of the state, police are asking tourists to wear mask and not to gather at one place unnecessary.

After viral photos of tourist crowd, 5,000 fine or 8-day jail for not wearing mask in Kullu-Manali

Updated on July 9, 2021

Kullu police has warned the residents and tourists not to take Covid-19 safety norms lightly as those flouting norms will be fined for Rs 5,000 or will be sent to jail for eight days.

After photos of tourist crowd in Manali went viral, police surveillance in the major tourist destinations has been stepped up. The Mall Road area of Manali, which witnesses huge crowd of tourists in the evening time, is witnessing frequent police patrolling. Special police teams are asking tourists to wear face masks and those who are ignoring instructions are being challaned. The district police has now warned that Rs 5,000 fine or eight days in jail will be the punishment for not wearing mask.

Kullu superintendent of police Gurdev Chand Sharma confirmed to challan offenders with Rs 5,000 or eight days’ jail term. He adds, “Our teams are requesting people to follow safety protocols. As tourists are not adhering to the rules, challaning them aggressively is the only option to protect people from possibility of infection. Although we believe that spreading awareness is the better option, but at this time Rs 5,000 fine or eight-day jail for not wearing face mask is our strong message to the offenders.”

Not only Manali town, but police patrolling has been increased in all tourist places of Kullu-Manali. While physical distancing is not possible at most of the congested tourist places, police are not hesitating in challaning the people who are wearing the mask.

Manali DSP Sanjeev Kumar said police challaned 140 people for not wearing face mask in the town in last five days. “Rs 1,48,500 has been realised. Shops and hotels are also being challaned for not following Covid-19 guidelines,” he said.

Meanwhile, hoteliers in Manali are upset with the negative publicity of the town following viral photos. Hoteliers said while some photos are fresh but one photo which caused damage to the business is old.

A hotelier Mukesh Thakur said, “This is true that Mall Road area of Manali witnesses crowd. But it’s reason is small market where all the tourists throng in the evening time. Otherwise hotels have empty rooms. Some of the viral photos are old which are being presented as new ones. We fear it can damage tourist footfall in coming days.”

Tourist crowd: It’s Covid-19 versus livelihood

Updated on July 6, 2021

In the choice between Covid-19 and livelihood, Himachal has chosen livelihood. The state is happily welcoming thousands of tourists every day, but this choice has also opened doors to the possibility of third wave as tourists are not following safety protocols.

The videos and photos of tourist crowds in Manali are bringing notoriety to this tourist town. While majority of tourists are irresponsible and not following Covid safety protocols, the increased footfall has brought cheer to the hoteliers. Kullu-Manali, where the crowd is expected to remain throughout July, now focus has shifted from controlling crowd to making the hosts of the tourists Covid proof by mass vaccination.

There is not plan of the state government to regulate the uncontrolled tourist crowd as government is also focusing on economy. The hoteliers, many of whom have been served with notices by banks during corona curfew, are also focusing on earning and repayment of the EMIs. So, nobody is more concerned about the crowd and social distancing protocol. Being the guests, tourists are being handled softly, but are also being challenged frequently.

Kullu deputy commissioner Ashutosh Garg said, “First of all those who are linked to tourism industry are being vaccinated on priority. Staff members of the hotels, restaurants, bars etc are being vaccinated so that they could protect themselves from Covid-19. Secondly, tourists not following Covid-19 safety protocols are being challaned aggressively. Special police teams are patrolling the tourism spots and are challaning all those who are not wearing face mask. Tourists are also being guided and warned regularly through public address system.”

Despite warning by police, many miscreant tourists are not wearing face masks and are creating ruckus. Many tourists believe that there is no coronavirus and mask and physical distancing are not the requirement. Not just the Manali town, but similar violations are being noticed frequently at all other tourist places of Kullu-Manali. Given the high risk of spread of the Covid, local residents have started making distance from the town.

The DC added that tourists are not following safety protocols and are gathering at one place at town and other tourist places. “Hoteliers have been asked to properly guide the tourists and encourage them to wear face mask and maintain physical distancing. Police are not hesitating in challaning the offenders.”

Monsoon delay a boon for Himachal tourism

Delay in monsoon and soaring temperature in neighbouring states has proved a boon for the tourism industry of Himachal as thousands of tourists are thronging the state every day.

Tourists are heading to the hills to get relief from scorching heat waves. As inter-state bus service has also started, tourist inflow is expected to increase by coming weekend. According to hoteliers, many people think that another wave of pandemic can force government to impose lockdown, so most people want to visit the hill stations as soon as possible. The closure of the schools is another reason that people are finding it appropriate time for a holiday trip. The tourist inflow is expected to decrease after July 15 when monsoon showers are expected to bring down temperature and force people to stay indoors.

Ban on paragliding, rafting till September 15

Both water and aero sports will remain banned in Himachal from July 15 to August 15 as monsoon rains and swelling rivers make the adventure sports very risky.

Kullu district tourism development officer Krishan Chand said adventure activities remain banned every year for two months during monsoon season. “This is a precautionary measure to avoid any accident. River rafting, paragliding, river crossing etc will remain closed till September 15,” he said.

Water sports in the state are banned in monsoon season under River Rafting Act 2005 and paragliding is banned under Himachal Pradesh Aero Sports Rules, 2004.

Tourists crowd bring cheers, Covid-19 rules violation pose challenges

Updated on June 14, 2021

While thousands of tourists thronging the tourist places in Kullu-Manali have brought cheer to hoteliers and taxi operators, frequent Covid-19 rules violations by them have become a headache for the authorities.

Many tourists are not wearing face masks and most of the tourists are gathering at one place. They are crowding outside shops and at public places without maintaining physical distance. Tourists traveling between Mandi and Manali are stopping vehicles on the highway and are going close to Beas river which is notorious for drowning many tourists every year. Police teams checking the Covid-19 rule violations are asking tourists to wear masks and maintain physical distances. They are keeping the surveillance by drone cameras and special squads have been formed to enforce the safety protocols. However, most of the tourists are ignoring the warning.

Besides hundreds of tourist cabs registered in Himachal, over 500 vehicles from other states had entered Manali by evening on Monday. A large number of vehicles were on their way to Manali. With increasing tourist crowd, many people fear irresponsible behaviour of tourists may cause sudden spike in the Covid cases. But the rise in number of tourists is bringing cheer to hoteliers and taxi operators.

The Beas is in spate after rise in temperature was causing fast melting of the glaciers and snow on the peaks. The charm of river is attracting tourists who have reached Manali to get respite from scorching heat. They are ignoring the warning signage and are entering into the freezing cold water of the river.

Manali sub-divisional magistrate Raman Gharsangi said, “All stakeholders of Manali have been requested to guide their guests that they should not go close to river which is not only dangerous but also violation of Covid-19 protocols. Being a host, people should encourage tourists to obey Covid rules. Warning signages are being installed at dangerous points. A large number of tourists are expected to arrive in Manali in few days. Not wearing mask or not maintain social distancing cannot be taken lightly. And tourists should maintain a safe distance from the river. Police have been directed to take strict action in case of any violation.”

As Himachal government has given travel relaxation to tourists and RT-PCR report is not required to enter the state, tourists have made beeline for the hill stations. Most of the tourists are coming in their private cars. A large number of tourists reached Rohtang pass on Monday and enjoyed with snow. Presently, most of the tourists visiting Himachal are from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and UP.

Manali expects tourist crowd as Rohtang pass opens for tourists

Updated on June 13, 2021

Opening of snow-bound Rohtang pass for tourists and no requirement of RT-PCR report to enter Himachal from Monday are expected to bring tourist crowd to Himachal in the latter half of June. Hoteliers are gearing up to host tourists in the remaining few days of summer season and tourist inflow is expected to break all previous records.

Administration has decided to open Rohtang pass for tourists from Monday. Lakhs of tourists rush to Himachal to see snow at Rohtang in the summer season. Hoteliers are confident that soaring temperature in the plains will make tourists visit the state to get respite from scorching heat of the plains and to get relaxed after lockdown and curfews. Expecting good bookings, hotels have also started resuming the operations.

As RT-PCR report will not be required to enter Himachal, more and more tourists are expected to rush to the hill state. However, tourists who wish to see snow at Rohtang pass will have to hire a local taxi from Manali as other vehicles will not be allowed to go beyond Gulaba, 22 km from Manali.

Manali sub-divisional magistrate Raman Gharsangi said road condition at Rohtang pass is not safe, so only local taxis will be allowed for some time. “Local taxi operators will have to obtain a permit to go to Rohtang manually from SDM office at Manali. Non-local vehicles will not be allowed for safety reasons. This is a temporary arrangement. All vehicles will be allowed after ensuring road is safe for all. Tourists visiting Manali and Rohtang pass will have to strictly follow the Covid-19 safety protocols,” he said.

The tourist inflow to Himachal has increase manifolds in last one week. Tourists are making beeline for Manali, Shimla, Dharamshala and Dalhousie. Some tourists are moving towards Spiti, Kinnaur, Mandi and other destinations. According to travel agents, the enquiries have gone up suddenly after Himachal government removed the requirement of RT-PCR report to enter the state.

“We will see a huge tourist crowd in next few days. People don’t want to stay at home anymore. Everyone wants a break. So lakhs of families are planning vacations in the hill stations. It should not surprise us if we see traffic jams in next few days,” a travel agent Gaurav Thakur said.

75 per cent of the peak summer tourist season in Himachal has been spoiled by Covid-19. Now that government has started easing curbs, hoteliers, taxi operators, travel agents and all others associated with tourism activities are expecting some earnings in the next few weeks. According to travel agents, the tourism season in Himachal generally ends in June but this time it will continue in July as most people have postponed their travel plans.

Soaring temperature, relaxations make tourists rush to hills

Updated on June 10, 2021

The tourist movement in Himachal has restarted again as scorching temperature, decreasing cases of Covid-19 and more relaxations have made people from neighbouring Pujnab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and UP head to the hill state.

Manali, Shimla, Dharamshala and Dalhousie are witnessing a sudden rise in tourist arrival in last few days. Tourist inflow has almost gone up by four times in Manali in last three days. However, the tourist arrival is less than 5 per cent of which is expected during this time of season in normal condition. Tourists are coming from other states also but majority of vehicles are from neighbouring states and UTs. Over 90 per cent of the tourists are coming in their own vehicles.

“We were feeling like being in jail for over a month. As positive Covid cases are decreasing, I applied for e-pass which got sanctioned and we headed to Manali without delay,” said Abhishek, a tourist from Delhi, adding that nothing can be right time for long holiday as offices and schools are closed these days. “Mercury in Delhi is rising rapidly. Our trip is unplanned as we will be enjoying the cool weather of Manali for few days.”

On Wednesday, the Chandigarh-Manali highway was busy with tourist vehicles after a long time. With this, hoteliers are hopeful that tourism may pick up pace suddenly even in July and August if curbs are lifted. While most hotels are still closed, some hotels have started resuming operation. According to hoteliers, most of the tourists are searching for budget class hotels and guesthouses and don’t want to spend more.

Hoteliers, who are suffering a severe financial crisis, have been demanding to remove the requirement of e-pass to enter Himachal as the process is complicated and officials do not approve e-pass easily. Hoteliers demand that tourists can be allowed after Covid-19 test at the state borders. They believe that the Himachal cabinet in its meeting on June 11 may lift the requirement of e-pass.

All tourists are reaching Manali with dream of watching and playing with snow at Rohtang pass. But tourists are not being allowed to visit Rohtang despite the fact that Manali-Rohtang highway is open for other vehicles. Hoteliers and taxi operators have demanding to allow tourists to visit Rohtang pass.

Meanwhile, most of the hotels have decided to remain shut until all curbs are lifted and tourist inflow has increased. The taxi operators also want to allow public transport. Tourists from far away states are not visiting Himachal due to unavailability of bus and taxi service. Although some taxis are plying on interstate routes, the fare is very high. Hoteliers say tourists will head to the mountain in good number only after bus, taxi and other services are resumed besides allowing tourists to go sightseeing.

Secret and fake hotels, homestays do a brisk business in pandemic

Updated on May 1, 2021

While hotels and homestays in Himachal are struggling for survival amid pandemic, hundreds of people, especially IT professionals, from other states are minting money here by operating “secret homestays and guesthouses” illegally.

Claiming that every one out of five homestays and guesthouses in villages, especially in Kullu-Manali, are being run by strangers from Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab and other states without registration and without paying taxes, various tourism based associations have started blaming tourism department and Himachal government for failing in saving tourism industry from collapsing. They allege that some villages have been captured by these people completely and are hosting thousands of tourists every year illegally. Last year also they did brisk business during the pandemic.

Jibhi Valley Tourism Development Association president Lalit Kumar said villagers from Jibhi, Tirthan and dozens of nearby villagers have worked hard to popularise the area among tourists. “Now unknown people from other states are running fake homestays and guesthouses. Our investigation revealed that they are not registered with tourism department. They do not pay taxes but host hundreds of tourists. As they are good at computer, online business, marketing and dealing, they are capturing all the clients and local villagers have no customer,” he said.

According to him, such illegal properties have spread across entire Kullu-Manali and even in some other districts. “Many of them are running hostels illegally. Innocent villagers cannot compete with them in marketing and business. When villagers protest them, they start fighting and threatening them. Government had started homestay scheme for villagers to generate employment and promote rural tourism. Owners have to pay electricity and water bills at domestic rates. Some non-local people have lured innocent villagers to give them homestay on long lease which is also a crime,” he added.

According to sources, many such non-native people are operating secretly through online channels and have their properties at Jibhi, Tirthan, Parvati valley, Burua, Shanag, Old Manali, Vashisht, Simsa, Nasogi and many other rural tourist destinations. Surprisingly, even some foreign nationals who have rented rooms for personal stay are selling room to the tourist. Besides online advertisement, they are attracting tourists through social platforms. There are hundreds of groups and pages with thousands and lakhs of followers available on facebook to sell such properties online to tourists. Many such properties have no name.

“In my village, I see new faces every week. When few of us investigated, we found that some people from many states have hired rooms here at cheap prices and they sell them to tourists for both long and short stays. This is how they are making easy money. We built hotels legally and are paying taxes, but we have not guests. But these professionals are bringing people effortlessly and illegally,” a resident from Nasogi village Pritam Thakur said.

The hoteliers have also been raising this issue for a long time. Hoteliers from tourist destinations have been complaining that many people are selling rooms to tourists illegally and many people from other states have registered local properties as homestays after entering contract with owner. While only three rooms can be sold under homestay schemes, some of them were selling even more than a dozen rooms without paying taxes and commercial bills.

According to Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association (FOHRA) state convener BP Thakur, this has now become a serious issue and tourism department should identify and seal such properties immediately. “The can buy any hotel or guesthouse in Himachal on agreement basis and can do business by paying taxes, paying electricity and water bills on commercial rate and as per government guidelines. As they do not pay tax or commercial bills, they are selling rooms at cheaper rates to attract more tourists. Everybody knows that a large number of such illegal properties are running here but nobody is serious to save our tourism,” he said.

“Kullu-Manali ready to welcome tourists amid Covid-19”

Updated on April 8, 2021

While hoteliers and other tourism entrepreneurs are worried for spike in cases of Covid-19 in the country including Himachal, a meeting was held in Kullu to review the preparedness to welcome tourists without restrictions.

“Hoteliers and all those in tourism industry need not to worry. We are ready to welcome tourists despite critical times. Government is working hard on controlling the spread of the Covid-19 without affecting the tourist inflow. In Kullu-Manali, the officials have been asked to start working on strategies to welcome tourists without putting them into trouble,” cabinet minister Govind Singh Thakur said.

In a review meeting regarding Covid-19 and upcoming peak summer tourist season, a detailed discussion held on providing different facilities to the tourists including parking, trouble-free entry into the state, seamless traffic arrangement and practicing extra hygiene.

“Tourist season is about to begin. We shall not stop tourists. Government is all set to tackle all kind of conditions arising due to coronavirus. The second wave of Covid-19 is more dangerous and it’s spreading very fast. People are requested to obey directions issued by the government honestly. A practical and effective plan is being made so that both tourists and residents do not face any problem in the coming season,” he said.

It was decided in the meeting that a message should be conveyed that tourists need not to worry while visiting Kullu-Manali as their safety will be taken care of as per Covid protocols. Minister asked all the SDMs of the district to have meetings with tourism entrepreneurs and all those linked to this industry in their respective area where healthy discussion should take place to make final strategy so that tourism season is not affected by the pandemic.

“Livelihood of thousands of families is totally dependent on tourism. I will keep taking meetings with different associations and stakeholders. District administration has been asked to make a tourism plan as soon as possible. Hotel staff is required to be given special training on safety protocols. Hoteliers will be convinced to arrange one or two rooms especially to handle Covid-19 positive tourists, if any,” he added.

It was also decided in the meeting that taxi drivers, bus and hotel staffs will be motivated to get them tested for Covid frequently which will not only prevent disease from spreading but tourists will also feel secured with this action. Tourists will be given special instructions at a different traffic check posts and barriers.

Meanwhile, on the request of hoteliers, travel agents, taxi and bus operators, minister ordered health department to make arrangement for RT-PCR testing for tourists as many of them need the test report to return back to their home state.

Himachal to remain open for tourists: Jai Ram Thakur

April 01, 2021: Himachal government has not planned to impose lockdown or curfew and there will be no restriction on movement of the tourists, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Thursday.

While speaking to media at Kullu, the CM said all the sectors, especially tourism industry of Himachal, have already suffered huge economical losses in a year and government was not going to impose lockdown in the state. He said there were some rumours about lockdown which are not true.

“The second wave of Covid-19 is a matter of concern. Cases in Himachal have also increased similar to other states. But the situation is under control. We are not going to impose lockdown in Himachal. We may think about lockdown only if situation worsens in the future,” he said.

The CM added that there will be no restriction on movement of tourists to the state. “Tourists can visit Himachal freely. But, tourists need to follow Covid-19 safety protocols like face cover and social distancing. Hotels, restaurants and other establishments also need to follow the standard operating procedures (SPS) strictly to avoid spread of the disease,” he added.

Tourism is one of the major sources of economy in Himachal. The peak tourist season in the state starts from mid-April till late June when tourists from plains head to the hills stations to get respite from scorching heat. With a spike in Covid-19 cases in all the states, tourists are hesitating in planning their tours. The hoteliers are also complaining about cancellations of booking.

The hoteliers were also concerned about lockdown in the state which can have a devastating impact on hospitality sector. Now that the CM has made it clear about his stand on lockdown, the tourist inflow is expected to increase in the coming days.

Himachal all set to host tourist crowd due to long weekend, snowfall

January 22, 2021: Long weekend and snow forecast have resulted in thousands of tourists making a beeline for Himachal after a break of two weeks. Every forecast for snowfall is bringing tourist crowd to Himachal.

Thousands of tourists, especially from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and UP, are expected to throng Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharamshala and other tourist destinations of the state. As things are coming to normalcy and people are going back to work, they have found an opportunity to plan an outdoor trip to the hill state as they have four days in hand including a Sunday and Republic Day.

According to hoteliers, most tourists are heading to Himachal only to see snowfall. Tourists keep watching snow forecast and keep in touch with hoteliers and travel agents to make sure that they visit the hill station when chances for snowfall are high. Himachal witnessed a record number of tourists in early January thanks to frequent spells of snowfall. The number of tourists decreased during the dry weather conditions in last two weeks and after closing of Atal tunnel for tourists. As more snowfall is predicted for Saturday and Sunday, tourists have started thronging here.

“Every spell of snowfall is bringing tourists to Himachal. Tourists want to see only live snowfall. The long weekend is also an excuse for office goers. The state is going to remain abuzz with tourists till Republic Day,” a hotelier Mandeep Singh said, adding that people who were locked inside houses for months are now looking for excuses to go out on holiday tours.

Many hotels in Shimla and Manali have booked to capacity in advance till Republic Day. With flights, rails and bus services resuming in the country, tourists from other states have also started visiting Himachal without hesitation. Hoteliers say nine out of 10 tourists enquire only about the status of snowfall in Himachal. And many of them request hoteliers to alert them when chances of snowfall are high so that they could plan their trip accordingly.

Somdev Sharma, a travel agent, said the resumption of luxury bus services to Himachal from Chandigarh and Delhi has provided a big relief to both tourists and tourism industry of Himachal. “Tourists were bound to bring their private cars or hire expensive taxis for Himachal as they had no other option. Now tourism is coming back on track as even low-budget tourists are travelling in the comfortable buses,” he said.

Thousands of tourists flock to Himachal for New Year celebrations

December 31, 2020: Record number of tourists flocked to Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and all other tourist destinations of Himachal on Thursday for New Year celebrations.

With thousands of tourists thronging hills stations of Himachal for New Year celebrations, the average tourism infrastructure of the state seems to have given in before huge vehicular traffic and tourist rush. However, Himachal police efficiently managed traffic movement and law and order besides Covid-19 guidelines.

Be it Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kasol, Manikaran, Jibhi, Tirthan Valley, Khajjiar, Chamba, Kufri or McLeodganj, traffic came to standstill at some places while it was moving at snail’s pace at other places. Major parking spaces were fully occupied and tourists had a bad time searching for space to park their cars.

There was no social distancing and many tourists were without face cover. Police did a large number of challans and requested tourists to maintain social distancing which otherwise was not possible in such a crowd. The authorities worked hard to prevent tourist places from coming to standstill.

Thousands of tourist vehicles from other states have entered Himachal since Wednesday night. Most of the tourists are from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP and Chandigarh. Despite Himachal police had already cleared that night curfew will be implemented after 10pm and midnight parties will not be allowed, all tourist places of the state were jam-packed. The tourist crowd has brought cheer to the hoteliers.

According to officials, 8,535 vehicles had entered Shimla from Solan side while 4,850 vehicles went out towards Solan from Shimla between 8am and 6pm on Thursday. Traffic on most roads in Shimla was moving very slow and parking spaces within the city were fully occupied. However, there was some space in parking at Chhota Shimla, Sanjauli and Tuti Kandi.

In Manali, record 3,450 vehicles from other states entered the town on Wednesday and the number was expected to be higher on Thursday. The traffic was moving slowly in Manali town and towards Atal tunnel. The parking spaces of the town were fully occupied and tourists were going away from the town for parking.

Kullu SP Gaurav Singh said, “Different units of police have been deployed at all tourist places to deal with traffic and law and order. Despite such high traffic, cops are not letting vehicles to freeze at a place and are keeping them in moving condition. However, traffic was intentionally made to move slowly in some places. Traffic and Covid violations are not being tolerated.”

Surprisingly, only 1,765 tourist vehicles crossed Atal tunnel to enter Lahaul valley on Thursday. 1,650 vehicles had returned back to Manali till 5pm. The strategy of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti police to streamline traffic worked well here and tourists enjoyed snow without facing major jam.

“Cops are available everywhere from tunnel to Sissu where parking is available for tourists. We expect similar tourist flow till few more days. Tourists doing traffic violations and not wearing face cover are being challaned,” Lahaul-Spiti SP Manav Verma said.

The tourist towns of the state have a limited carrying capacity which was crossed by tourist crowd on New Year Eve. Tourist footfall has broken all-time records at many places including Manali.

While tourist crowd has brought cheer to hoteliers, it has increased risk of spread of the Covid-19 as tourists were not following social distancing and other protocols. The condition was worse at the Ridge and Mall Road in Shimla and Mall Road of Manali where tourists were pushing each other. While police were requesting tourist to maintain a distance, it was impossible for tourists to maintain the required distance in limited space.

Meanwhile, all the hotels within cities and towns had been booked by Thursday noon and tourists coming without advance booking were struggling to search for the rooms. Many tourists had to go many kilometers away from town. The hotels in villages and along the highways including those very far from the towns were also booked by evening. Himachal Tourism (HPTDC) hotels also had a record booking across the state.

Himachal gears up to host bumper tourists this New Year

December 29, 2020: Having stayed at home for months amid Covid-19 pandemic, people from all states have started thronging hill stations of Himachal for New Year celebrations. According to sources, Shimla, Manali and other tourist destinations of the state are set to host an overcrowded New Year with many tourists struggling to get room in hotel.

Most of the hotels in Manali and Shimla are booked till January 1. After witnessing an unprecedented tourist crowd on Christmas Day, hill stations of Himachal are expected to choke with more crowd. While some tourists have already booked their hotels, most of them are expected to visit without booking. The crowd will be more from December 30 to January 1 while peak crowd will be on December 31.

A Shimla based travel agent Inderjeet Singh said, “Only a few tourists are booking hotels and other services in advance. The hotels inside the city are expected to be fully booked on Wednesday while some of them are already booked to capacity. Tourists are now bound to book hotels outside the city, preferably on Chandigarh-Shimla highway and towards Kufri. Tourists coming on December 31 will have to work hard to book room. We expect all time high tourist crowd in the city.”

Hoteliers in Dalhousie and Dharamshala are also reporting high tourist rush from Wednesday onwards. Tourists are also heading to Chamba, Palampur, Mandi, Seraj and other destinations of the state which are less crowded. In Manali, Kasol, Jibhi and Tirthan, hoteliers expect a record tourist inflow on December 30 and 31.

A hotelier Rakesh Sharma said the hoteliers are doing brisk business for the first time after March when a nationwide lockdown was imposed. “Unfortunately, the tourist crowd will disappear after January 5. The peak crowd will be experienced on December 31. Hotels dependent on the online booking are mostly booked. Other hotels are expected to be occupied on Wednesday. Tourists may face little problem on last day of this year and may have to go outside Manali to look for rooms,” he said.

Not only in Manali but hotels too far from the town are also getting good booking. Some tourists are preferring to stay outside town to avoid noise and traffic. Meanwhile, Himachal police is gearing up to deal with the tourist crowd.

Himachal director general of police Sanjay Kundu on Tuesday held a review meeting with police chief of districts under Mandi range and directed police to ensure smooth traffic management, law and order during New Year. He congratulated Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti police for better traffic management during Christmas when record number of vehicles had entered Manali and Lahaul from other states.

Atal tunnel, Manali get a record number of vehicles

December 27, 2020: Both Manali and Atal tunnel are serving a record number of vehicles these days as thousands of tourists are heading to Manali for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Record 5,450 vehicles entered Atal tunnel from both ends on Sunday. Record 3,075 vehicles from other states entered Manali on Christmas Day and over 2,600 vehicles entered Manali on Saturday. Almost similar numbers of tourist vehicles registered outside Himachal are expected to enter Manali on Sunday till midnight. Besides this, nearly 70 tourist buses from Delhi are reaching Manali every day. A large number of taxis registered in Himachal are also bringing tourists to Manali.

Himachal director general of police Sanjay Kundu told the media that 2,800 vehicles entered Lahaul valley via Atal tunnel while 2,650 went back towards Manali. This is the highest traffic recorded in tunnel till date. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper which shows Atal tunnel has become a major tourist destination in the country. Both Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti police have managed the traffic at tunnel very sensibly while temperature at tunnel was recorded at minus 18 degrees C,” he was quoted as saying.

The DGP also told that elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure smooth traffic flow from Manali onwards up to Lahaul valley, keeping in view the large number o tourists visiting the Atal tunnel, Rohtang. “Police are trying their best to ensure tourists visiting the state from various parts of the county do not face any inconvenience. The major traffic is towards Atal tunnel as it has become a major tourist spot in a very short time period.”

Lift night curfew during Christmas and New Year: Hoteliers

December 21, 2020: With nigh curfew enforced in Kullu, Shimla, Mandi and Kangra districts between 9pm and 6am till January 5, the Christmas and New Year celebrations in Himachal are expected to be dull this year.

Believing that night curfew will harm the tourism in Himachal, which remains at peak from December 21to January 2, as tourists will not be allowed to venture out of the hotels after 9pm, hoteliers have urged government to lift curfew during Christmas and New Year Eve. Hoteliers also requested government to create a tourism-friendly environment in the state to save tourism which has been hit very hard due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Former president of Manali Hoteliers Association Gajender Thakur said this year has been a black year for Himachal tourism industry and now hoteliers are trying to earn some money in last ten days of 2020. “Government should lift curfew during Christmas and New Year so that the maximum number of tourists could visit the state. Tourists are hesitating in visiting Himachal due to night curfew. The government should impose strict norms on tourism like wearing mask, maintaining social distancing, avoiding crowd etc but curfew is doing negative publicity,” he said.

Late night parties, DJ nights, folk dances, bonfires and many more activities mark Christmas and New Year in Himachal. Most tourists visit the state just to enjoy the occasion. Congregation of people is not allowed this year. Even tourists will not be allowed to go out of their hotels after 9pm in four districts.

“There are already many restrictions due to pandemic and everybody is following them. Educated and sensible tourists are cooperating with the hotels. The night curfew is an additional restriction that is harming Himachal tourism in December. Christmas and New Year are the next victims,” another hotelier Rakesh Sharma said.

Manali, Shimla, Dharamshala and Dalhousie witness maximum tourist crowd during Christmas and New Year week when most hotels remain fully occupied. Sometimes tourists face difficulty in booking a room during this time. Despite the fact that many hotels are closed, hoteliers blame that tourist footfall is expected to remain less than previous years in the Christmas and New Year season. Besides night curfew, not allowing Volvo buses to ply on different routes between Delhi and Himachal is blamed for below-average tourist arrival to the state.

Himachal Tourism: Festive season fails to bring tourist crowd to Himachal

October 27, 2020: The festive season has failed to heal the crippled tourism industry of Himachal as its tourist resorts did not see the expected tourist crowd due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Navratri and Dussehra have failed to bring tourists to the state. Now hopeless hoteliers say the enquiries for Diwali holidays are quite disappointing. Thousands of tourists from West Bengal and Gujarat used to visit Himachal during festive season till November end. Bengali and Gujarati tourists used to bring good business for hoteliers, travel agents, taxi operators, restaurants and shopkeepers. The state has a few tourists from neighbouring states Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. Absence of tourists from other states has hit hard the economy of tourism sector of Himachal.

Manali Hoteliers’ Association president Anup Ram Thakur said hoteliers had thought of recovering from the debts in the festive season but all have been disappointed. “Most hotels are completely empty. This is the condition when less than 50 per cent hotels are open. Hoteliers are actually in trouble. We need government help to deal with EMIs, electricity and various bills. Now we hope for some business only after April next year. How we shall survive till then,” he said.

Be it Manali, Shimla, Dalhousie or Dharamshala, hoteliers have lost all hopes from Himachal tourism for good business this year. Only a few tourists, mostly backpackers, are visiting the state. Nobody is visiting with family especially with elderly and children. Tourists are still scared of coronavirus. Some professionals are heading to the state for working from the mountains. But they are mostly choosing remote areas for their workation. A large number of tourists who wish to visit Himachal are not able to plan their vacations due to the unavailability of transportation medium.

“There are many travelling restrictions that stop tourists from visiting Himachal. Reaching here is almost impossible until tourists have their personal car or private taxi. This is the main reason that tourists from Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra and states far from Himachal are not visiting us,” HP Travel Agents’ Association president Budhi Parkash said. He added that tourists can manage to reach Delhi but there is no reliable transport option between Himachal and national capital.

“We have limited air connectivity. We don’t have railway facility. Travelling in private taxi is extremely expensive and uncomfortable. Luxury Volvo buses were the only reliable and best option to travel from Delhi to Manali but the service has been suspended by the government,” he added.

The ongoing weeklong Kullu Dussehra used to bring tourist crowd to Kullu-Manali. All hotels in Kullu used to be fully occupied for a week. But as the festivity is being celebrated in micro form, hotels are also empty. The hoteliers are expecting a slight jump in business during Christmas and New Year Eve. Otherwise, they know that good business is not possible before next summer season.

India-Pak tensions: No impact on Himachal tourism

February 28, 2019: While the growing tension between India and Pakistan has badly affected tourism in Kashmir, there is no impact on tourism in Himachal where tourists are thronging to see snow and hoteliers are claiming to have observed satisfactory business in winters after many years.

Despite lean season and advisory for avalanches and landslides, tourists are visiting Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie. The state is witnessing frequent spells of snowfall. Tourists don’t want to lose their chance to see fresh snowfall. The major roads in state were reopened shortly after heavy snowfall. There were reports of tourists stranding in Spiti valley but roads to other destinations remained mostly open which encouraged tourists to experience the winters of Himachal.

“I have seen such a tourist crowd in January and February after many years. Not only I but all did good business here,” a tourist photographer Lal Chand said. “Bahang, Nehru Kund and Solang, you will see a large number of tourists enjoying with snow. We used to stay home for many days in winters when we had no work. Tourists are making a beeline to Manali even during heavy snowfall.”

Manali Hoteliers Association president Anup Ram Thakur said Mother Nature is blessing Manali with good amount of snow which is attracting tourists to this town. “Over 50 per cent tourists visiting Manali got chance to see fresh snowfall January and February. All the hotels are giving special discounts to the tourists. This is lean tourist season and hotels are not fully occupied but still doing good business. If our roads were good and we had good air connectivity, more tourists would have visited the town. We appreciate steps taken by Kashmiri hoteliers to help the stranded tourists,” he said.

Shimla hoteliers are also doing well, especially in weekends. A hotelier Rajesh Kumar said, “Unlike last year when we had no snow, Shimla city and its upper reaches have received good snow. Tourists had some problem after snowfall when roads were blocked but they still enjoyed the moment. We have more tourists in weekends. Tourists now stay updated with weather forecast and come to see snowfall. We have not noticed any downfall in tourism due to tensions between both the countries.”

Tourists first started leaving Kashmir after Pulwama attack and now after growing tension between India and Pakistan. While hoteliers in Kashmir are offering free accommodation and meal to stranded tourists, J&K tourism has issued helpline numbers for tourists. As tourism of J&K, especially Ladakh and Vaishno Devi pilgrimage in Jammu, are connected with Himachal tourism, its impact can be seen in coming months. Thousands of tourists, including foreigners, opt for Himachal visit along with Ladakh or Vaishno Devi.