After struggling for survival, Himachal tourism industry in revival phase following removal of curbs and night curfew

Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, January 7

The tourism industry which struggled for survival due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown for nearly eight months is in the revival phase following lifting of curbs and night curfew in four districts and hoteliers are upbeat after surge in tourist inflow during Christmas and New Year.

Occupancy in hotels was nearly 90 per cent during Christmas and all hotels in state capital Shimla were packed to capacity on New Year’s Eve and snowfall towards end of the year also contributed to surge in tourist inflow.

The hoteliers are upbeat as the occupancy was 60 to 70 per cent in spite of the fact that snowfall eluded the capital, said president of Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association Sanjay Sood adding that “lifting of night curfew and opening of shops on Sundays, provided much needed breather to tourism industry and we are expecting good business in coming days and hopefully forget the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as a nightmare”.

Meanwhile, the inter-state Volvo buses which were suspended due to ongoing pandemic resumed today after ten months and the hoteliers are optimistic that snowfall in the coming days would further increase the tourist inflow.

Large number of tourists who have thronged Shimla and adjoining areas are also enjoying the chilly weather but touts of hotels are creating nuisance and chasing the tourists.

“We were taken for a ride by the touts who claimed to provide rooms in four star hotels with parking but when we reached the destination it turned out to be a lie,” said Jaipdeep, a tourist from Delhi.

Tourists should make advance booking online and directly walk into the hotels and not fall in the trap of touts, who take the tourists to the hotels of their choice and fleece them, he cautioned.

About 1.5 lakh vehicles crossed (to and fro) Shimla from December 25, 2020 to January 5, 2020 and accommodating such huge tourist inflow became a daunting task for 450 police personnel deployed for traffic management in the town as all parking lots were full and roads were chocked.

The need for more parking lots at the entry point near Shoghi, better transport and shuttle service and expediting construction of rope way near New ISBT was felt.

During unlock phases, the state government had allowed the hotels to open but stringent conditions like negative COVID-19 report, minimum five days booking in hotels, fifty per cent occupancy, night curfew and closure of markets on Sundays played spoilsport.

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