Ban of AC tourist buses, night curfew and the farmer's protests taking a toll on tourism: Himachal!

The farmers’ protests at Delhi borders have now started badly impacting the tourism in Himachal Pradesh where hotel booking cancellations have continued as tourists are clueless about whether they should plan their holiday trip or they should wait for a few more days.

Due to the pandemic, tourism in Himachal has already been struggling to come back on track. According to hoteliers, the recent order of imposing night curfew in Shimla, Kangra, Mandi, and Kullu-Manali has also played spoilsport. Now, tourists have started to cancel their bookings as farmers’ protests have blocked major roads out of Delhi.

“Covid-19, ban on plying of AC tourist buses, night curfew and the protests by farmers are all set to destroy the tourism industry,” Himachal Travel Agents Association president Budhi Parkash said. “Neither we oppose nor do we support these protests but we are worried about our business. Tourists look for a pleasant and worry-free environment to enjoy their holiday trip. Most tourists are not able to decide if they should plan their trip or not,” he added.

The average hotel occupancy in Manali, Shimla, Dalhousie and Dharamshala is 15-20%.

The hotels have reported a large number of cancellations. The festive season, which used to attract thousands of tourists to Himachal in October and November, has been worst in terms of business. Hoteliers are now hoping for good business on Christmas and New Year Eve.

Hotelier Ritesh Sood said the word “night curfew” had spread panic among tourists.

“Nobody in Himachal remains outside home in night time in cold weather. The government should have specifically tightened the screw on night parties and other social events. Unlike most other states, Himachal is a tourism state,” he said.

Many hoteliers and travel agents are reporting incidents of police stopping tourists’ movement during curfew hours from 9pm to 6am.

They are also getting calls from their clients that they are not feeling safe as many major highways leading to Delhi are blocked.

Not resuming AC bus service from Delhi to Himachal is also taking a toll on tourism. However, despite so many odds, some tourists are enjoying their stay in Himachal.

News Courtesy: ET