“As the combined effect of reduced spending margins owing to the global slowdown and the increasing temperature, domestic tourism in Mahabaleshwar is experiencing growth like never before. This is the first place that people from Pune and Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra think of while deciding on a trip,” said Ramesh Koul, president, Hoteliers and Restaurant Association (HRA) Mahabaleshwar.

Almost all the hotels in Mahabaleshwar are packed 100 percent, with no bookings available till May 31. The MTDC resort has over 100 rooms and cottages and according to the travel desk officials there, bookings are not available till May-end. From one of the smallest, called Pooja Farms near Tapola Lake with an inventory of four rooms, to Gautam Hotel, a three-star eco-hotel that has over 66 rooms, all the hotels are fully occupied. “We have 35 rooms, almost all of which are booked for the season,” said Manoj Ranawade of Girivihar Hotel.

As per the data available with HRA, Mahabaleshwar has over 25 big hotels with an inventory of more than 50 rooms each. While these are the major contributors towards the overall revenue generated at the hill station, there are nearly 20-22 smaller hotels with a capacity of less than 50 rooms and 10-15 lodges with a capacity of 10 rooms each. Koul said, “The ongoing peak season for Mahabaleshwar continues till June 10 and bigger hotels with room inventory of over 50 rooms generate an average revenue of Rs 25-30 lakh per 15 rooms during the peak season.”

On an average, 10-12 lakh tourists pour into Mahabaleshwar every year, the number being maximum during the summer and this time, due to the thriving domestic tourism figures, a 20 percent increase in the number of tourists is recorded by HRA.