Adverse publicity of traffic jams hits footfall in Himachal Pradesh; tourism industry pins hope on snowfall

Shimla, December 30

Adverse publicity of traffic jams with videos of vehicles stranded in queues going viral has hit the tourist footfall in Shimla and Manali, recording over 40 and 70 per cent occupancy, respectively, on Friday.

The occupancy in big hotels is over 90 per cent and 70 per cent in small and medium hotels in Manali, Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA) president Gajender Thakur said.

There are about 1,800 tourism units, including hotels, homestays and other accommodations in Manali and suburbs, he added.

There is a huge craze among tourists to visit the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang, but photographs of a large number of vehicles stranded near the tunnel have gone viral, and the heavy rush changed tourists’ minds, he said.

The state government has taken good initiatives like organising winter carnival in Shimla by illuminating and decorating the heart of the city, Mall Road and The Ridge and hosting culture festivals, Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association president MK Seth said.

However, adverse publicity on social media and some electronic channels regarding traffic jams diverted the tourists to other destinations, and the room occupancy in Shimla was just over 40 per cent on Friday, he told the PTI on Saturday.

One-minute traffic plan is in place in Shimla, which implies a 20-30-minute wait at entry points of Shimla and easy traffic movement in the city. The new plan is better as it saves from inconvenience in the city, and there are no long jams in Shimla like old times, he added.

Seth and Thakur attributed the lull on Friday to adverse publicity but pinned hope on hundred per cent occupancy on the New Year’s eve falling on a weekend, with the Met predicting snow and rain in high and mid hills of the state.

The local Met office had predicted snowfall and rainfall at isolated places in high and mid hills on December 30 (Saturday) as a fresh Western Disturbance lies over the Himalayan region.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed to follow the slogan of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, facilitate the tourists and make adequate arrangements and proper traffic plans in all districts for smooth traffic flow.

Besides allowing food joints and pan shops to be opened 24×7, he had said that drunken tourists would not be taken to jail, but would be facilitated by the police to their hotels to ensure that their New Year experience is not spoiled.