The majority of Himachal cities and towns depend on tourism for their livelihood. However, after receiving heavy rainfall and witnessing flooding, the state saw a major drop in the tourism sector. The hotel industry in the Himachal Pradesh regions of Kullu-Manali is preparing for year-end travel and is anticipating a “fantastic” season as visitor numbers have begun to rise following road repairs and snowfall.
Kullu-Manali Hotel Industry Expecting 100% Occupancy?
Natural calamities during the monsoon season caused enormous losses for the sector. According to Gajender Thakur, president of the FOHHRA, the hotel industry is anticipating 100% occupancy during the Christmas and New Year week, although the current occupancy rate is between 40% and 50%. This is expected to increase due to the snowfall.
According to him, hotel owners, particularly in Manali, have organised several activities for the final week of the year to greet visitors. After a moderate amount of snowfall in the Lahaul Valley and its surrounding high-altitude regions, the police have advised people to travel with caution before entering Keylong and Sissu due to blocked roads.
In the coming winter, snowfall in the upper regions of Kullu, Lahaul, and Spiti will be very beneficial to the hotel and related industries in Manali and Kullu. Even though dry weather was predicted until December 8, the region’s weather remained gloomy and frigid winds came through, severely chilling higher hills and tribal regions.
The Atal Rohtang tunnel’s North and South Portals saw 23 cm and 10 cm of snow, respectively, while Sissu and Koksar recorded 20 cm and 17 cm of snow, followed by Keylong 5 cm and Gondla 4 cm. Kothi also had 7 mm of rainfall, with Shimla 6 mm and Manali 3 mm in the lead.
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Keylong recorded the lowest minimum temperature of minus 4.1 degrees, the lowest of any place. It was followed by Sumdo, Kalpa, Reckongpeo, Narkanda and Manali. For the following eight days, the state is expected to see dry weather and a further dip in temperature, according to the local weather station.
Decrease In Tourism During Monsoon
During the monsoon, tourists started cancelling their hotel reservations and holiday trips. Due to the heavy rainfall, over 50 people died in the rain-related incidents. In fact, hotel occupancy in major tourist spots like Shimla, Dharamshala and Manali dropped by 10 per cent.
According to the President of Manali Hotels Association, the hotel occupancy was just 2 per cent and they were receiving foreign tourists who were returning from Leh. As for domestic tourists, they were avoiding the hills.
The state’s government tourist corporation had offered a 50 per cent discount on room tariffs till September 15. The state government was providing this enormous discount to attract travellers and boost occupancy at its otherwise highly sought-after hotels. Moreover, the tourism economy has been severely impacted by the torrential rains, and the off-season is soon to arrive.
According to representatives of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), this discount was being offered because of the state’s abundant rainfall. The company declared that it would take effect right away.
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Comment below and share your thoughts about the Himachal Pradesh’s tourism sector.
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