As cases fall, tourist count rises in Himachal

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, June 27

The tourist footfall at various destinations of the district is increasing following a steep reduction in Covid cases. The tourist influx also increased after the state government announced several relaxations in curfew restrictions.

As the temperatures are rising in plains, tourists have started visiting Kullu and Manali. A large number of tourists from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi are visiting Manikaran, Kasol, Tirthan, Jibhi, Rohtang, Solang Nala and other popular destinations. They are also heading towards Lahaul and Spiti through the Atal Tunnel.

As there is snow in abundance in the Rohtang region, the area is buzzing with tourists. Manali, too, is another preferred location for tourists because of its pleasant weather and scenic beauty.

Sunita, a tourist from Delhi, said that she was overjoyed to be in Manali as the weather here was pleasant. Rahul, a tourist from Haryana, said his family was not able to move out and relax due to Covid but they came now to enjoy the hill environment.

Stakeholders of the tourism industry, who have suffered heavy losses due to the pandemic, said they were hopeful that they would do good business. Hoteliers are relieved as occupancy in hotels and other hospitality units is improving. Around 1,000 out of 2,500 hospitality units in Manali have resumed operations.

Security arrangements had been tightened in view of the increasing number of tourists. More than 150 additional police personnel and Home Guard jawans had been deployed in all tourist places of the district for the convenience of the visitors.

Police and Rustom volunteers were ensuring compliance of Covid protocol in tourist hotspots. Monitoring was being done through drones in congested areas. The police appealed to all stakeholders to adhere to Covid norms and advise their guests, too, to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.