Weather rekindles hoteliers’ hope

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 11

With hotel bookings dropping by 20 to 30 per cent, hoteliers are pinning hopes on snowfall to recover from low occupancy hitting the business.

The occupancy is normally low during November and early December, but this time, it is much below as compared to the previous years.

“The present occupancy is as low as 20 to 30 per cent, while advance bookings have also dropped significantly by about 30 per cent. We are hopeful that snow will attract tourists to Shimla and other places,” said president, Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association, Shimla, MK Seth.

“Following the advisory of the district administration, tourists are unable to make up their mind whether to come to Shimla in harsh weather conditions,” he added.

However, Deputy General Manager (DGM), Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), BR Chauhan said: “It is a lean period, but we have more than 50 per cent bookings between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. During this season, a large number of tourists from Gujarat visit the state, but due to the Assembly elections there, the number has reduced.

Shimla Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur said safety was the first priority of the administration and that the advisory was issued for the convenience of tourists.

He added that the district administration was prepared to cope with the heavy rush of people.

The Met office had warned of heavy rain and snow at isolated places in the mid and higher hills today and tomorrow (December 11 and 12) and heavy rain and snow till December 14 at many places.