Tourists upset, Kufri needs better infra & services
The place is crowded, dusty, unorganised and expensive. It’s a complete waste of time and money. It’s overhyped and has very little to offer...These are some of the many such reviews that disgruntled tourists have posted online after visiting Kufri, the famous tourist spot near Shimla, in recent times.
The unflattering feedback is not a good news for the hill station that offers livelihood to thousands of people belonging to adjacent villages. Such discontent with the place could kill the golden goose that Kufri has been for a large local population over the last couple of decades.
The major reason behind this tiny hill station losing its charm is the lack of indifference towards it by successive governments. Hardly any infrastructure or services to facilitate the tourists have been raised over the decades. The government and its concerned agencies — the district administration, Tourism Department, Forest Department and the Public Works Department — have left it to the local people to run and manage the place as they like. And given the reviews the tourists are posting online, this arrangement is not working. It leaves a lot to be desired as far as tourists’ experience and satisfaction is concerned.
The Kufri experience for daytime tourists broadly comprises a horse ride from the marketplace to the Mahasu peak via an ill-maintained path. The Mahasu peak, which used to be an open and scenic pasture in the past, is now dotted with shanties selling tea and other food items. Meanwhile, the tourists are offered some adventure activities at the top. In winters, with the addition of snow-related activities, the tourists’ experience gets better. Many tourists, as per the reviews posted by them, do not find the offerings at the peak covered by shanties worth the effort, time and money spent. Many feel the horse ride through the muddy and stinking narrow path is dangerous and many others flag issues like overcharging and misbehaviour.
Clearly, the place needs much better infrastructure, services and management. Thankfully, the intervention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pushed the government into some sort of action. The district administration is working on chalking out a plan with the Tourism Department to sustain Kufri as one of the leading tourist spots. “Kufri is a priority for us. We will ensure that tourists are neither exploited nor misbehaved with. At the same time, we want to ensure the livelihood of the local people is not affected,” says Shimla DC Anupam Kashyap.
The Forest Department, which owns much of the land at the tourist spot, including the Mahasu peak, has also swung into action after the NGT expressed concern over damage to ecology. The department is focusing on ecotourism, beautification and cleanliness of the place. The plans to set up selfie points, fountain, walk trails, e-cycles, etc., are in the pipeline. “You will see some improvement in a year’s time at the place, which is in a pretty bad condition at the moment,” said a forest official. Fingers crossed!
