T20 fever fails to catch on as hotels see low occupancy

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, September 14

Contrary to the perception that the T20 match between India and South Africa will boost tourism, hoteliers of upper Dharamsala are alleging that they hardly have any bookings.

Ashwani Bamba, a hotelier from Bhagsunag, said hotels weren’t booked. “We were expecting that the cricket match would bring a packed season for upper Dharamsala, but there is nothing of the sort,” he added.

“Tourists are avoiding staying in upper Dharamsala, including McLeodganj, Bhagsunag and Dharamkot, as the area does not have parking space, roads are narrow and there are traffic jams during the peak tourist season,” Bamba said.

Sanjeev Gandhi, another hotelier from upper Dharamsala, said nobody was addressing the basic problems of the area. The hotel association had suggested to the authorities that alternative roads were available, but those had turned into treks due to non-maintenance. “In case, these roads are repaired, the one-way traffic system can be implemented in the upper Dharamsala region. This can solve the traffic problem,” he said.

Hotelier Ram Swaroop Sharma said despite the presence of a world brand like the Dalai Lama in the area, the footfall of foreign and domestic tourists had gone down over the year. During the last match, there was riot-like situation in McLeodganj as the tourists did not get place in restaurants and had to spend nights in their cars. All this was bringing a bad name to upper Dharamsala and empty hotels during the match days illustrated the fact.

Hoteliers of upper Dharamsala have proposed to the local administration that they were ready to bear the expenses of parking places in case land was provided to them. They have been maintaining that providing parking places, sanitation and hygiene were the government’s responsibility.

“The regulating authorities have come later and are now trying to enforce new rules in the old areas. The government should try to create basic minimum facilities for McLeodganj and other upper Dharamsala areas to save the tourism industry, which is the revenue generator,” Bamba said.