A dampener for hotel industry

Pratibha Chauhan and Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 13

Heavy rain causing large-scale damage and disruptions in the vehicular movement could prove to be a dampener for the tourism industry, which was hoping to make gains in view of August 15 holiday.

Contrary to the expectations of the tourism industry, which is already witnessing a lean season in view of heavy rain, there is no major improvement in bookings in view of the holiday on August 15.

While Shimla and Kasauli have good arrivals at the weekends due to locational advantage, Dharamsala, Dalhousie and Kullu-Manali have not seen any improvement in tourist arrivals.

Sarla Chopra, General Manager, HPTDC, which runs 56 hotels, said hopes of 80 to 90 per cent occupancy around August 15 were dim.

“We have touched about 50 per cent bookings so far. We are getting a lot of queries about road conditions,” she said.

However, with an advisory having been issued by authorities, urging tourists to re-scheduled their visit, their hopes have been dashed.

In fact, the police at most of the entry points to the state in districts of Solan, Bilaspur and Sirmaur were seen urging those entering Himachal to avoid travelling as the road situation was bad owing to heavy landslides and fallen trees. This is being done in view of weather forecast by the Meteorological Department that heavy to very rain could lash the state on Tuesday and heavy rain on August 16 and 17.

“Kullu-Manali is already witnessing barely 15 to 20 per cent hotel occupancy in view of very heavy monsoons, so there is no question of any cancellation of bookings,” said Gajender Thakur, president of the Manali Hoteliers Association. He too admitted that in view of heavy rain, all chances of good tourist arrival around Independence Day have been ruled out.