Dry weather hits hotel business in Himachal

Dipender Manta

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Mandi, January 8

Dry weather has hit the tourism industry of Kullu-Manali hard as room occupancy in hotels has shrunk below 40 per cent. Hoteliers said on the Christmas eve, tourist footfall was high and room occupancy had gone above 90 per cent. However, for New Year, the room occupancy dipped below 80 per cent.

“During the Manali Winter Carnival from January 2 to 6, the room occupancy was around 60 per cent. But now it has dipped below 40 per cent. Tourists come here to enjoy snow activity during winter. Snow is the major attraction for tourists here,” hoteliers said.

Budhi Prakash Thakur, a hotelier in Manali, said: “Dry spell of weather has put the hotel industry here in a quandary. Tourists enquire about snow in Manali but dry weather has disappointed hoteliers as well as tourists eager to come here. Now, all hopes are on the weather. If it snows, the influx of tourists will increase to Kullu-Manali. If the weather remains dry, we are apprehensive that the tourist footfall will decrease further in the next few days.”

Anup Thakur, president of the Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal, said. “Dry weather has hit the tourism industry of Kullu-Manali badly. Its impact was seen during New Year celebrations, when less tourist footfall was witnessed as compared to previous year. Generally during the New Year Eve, the room occupancy in hotels of Manali goes above 95 per cent, but this year it was below 80 per cent.”

“Tourists, who visited here in hope of snowfall during the New Year, left disappointed. Now, we are waiting desperately for snowfall to get a push. Snow is considered a boon for the tourism industry. The weathermen have predicted snow and rain on January 9 and 10 in different parts of the state. We are expecting snow within two days, which will attract tourists here,” he remarked.