Tourism industry pins hopes on IPL matches to lure enthusiasts

While the Dharamsala tourism industry suffered heavily due to tense relations between India and Pakistan after the recent terror attack on the tourists in Pahalgam, the three Indian Premier League (IPL) matches are expected to be a ‘bridge gap’ and get back the tourists and the cricket enthusiasts here, claim the local hoteliers fraternity.

The April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were barbarically killed, had adversely impacted the tourism industry. Speculations of India’s retaliation were enough to make the situation worse. The Pahalgam incident jolted cities like Dharamsala and its suburb McLeodganj as the economy of the locals here is dependent on tourism. However, the three (May 4, May 7, May 11) IPL matches have kindled big hopes among the locals.

“The matches have brought a lot of hope for us. The tourism industry witnessed a major hit after the Pahalgam incident. We witnessed minimal bookings of tourists and a poor tourist footfall on the roads. With this (IPL) event, people would at least look forward to coming out of their homes and visiting this (HPCA) picturesque venue,” said Prashant Chopra, a local hotelier.

Before the monsoon season (usually from June to August-September), the mountain towns attract a large number of tourists during the months of April and May. Those in the tourism industry rely more in these two months to earn their living. “From March to May, we usually get good business, especially from tourists reaching here. The weather remains pleasant here and the tourist wish to come to the hills to beat the heat. From June to September, a majority of the people avoid travelling to the hills fearing landslides and other issues,” said Ravi Kumar, manager of a hotel based in McLeodganj.

Punit Sharma, who runs a food counter near the HPCA Stadium, added: “The craze for the first two matches is not as expected, but it’s good to get some visitors to the town. Last few weeks were very tough and our business was totally dependent on the college students.”

Angad, who runs a cab, added, “The town was literally sleeping at 8 pm for some time now. However, due to these matches, people have started coming here, which boosted our business.”