The Manali and Dharamshala sectors are the worst-affected, while Shimla manages to hold its own on the back of routine arrivals and package tours. More than 35 per cent of the bookings in Manali have been cancelled after the rains in Delhi and north India. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), barring its premier Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla, has also witnessed slow bookings.
While it is anybody’s guess as to how long Shimla will be able to sustain this trend, the tourist “deficit” is expected to exceed 40 per cent by mid-June if the rains persist.
“The season started off well with a large number of bookings, but the sudden change in weather has adversely affected the number of arrivals,” says Ramsubhag Singh, Commissioner (Tourism) and Managing Director, HPTDC. Hoteliers from Manali, a hot spot among foreign tourists, are worried as July and
August are not too busy and with June witnessing a slump, the prospects look bleak this season.
Gian Chand, a hotelier in Shimla, lists the Gurjjar agitation in Rajasthan and Delhi as another factor acting as a deterrent for prospective visitors. The “high society” hotels have been a less affected due to bookings through websites and travel agents, he adds.
Yatish Sood, who owns Chalets Naldehra, an upmarket resort, admits, “The tourist season, in general, has not been very bright for Himachal. If the people in Chandigarh or Delhi are having temperature less than 34 or 35 degrees Celsius, they see no logic in rushing to hill stations.” His own resort, however, remains an exception as he has a wide network of clients, who book their fine-wooded cottages and apartments much in advance.