Weekend tourist flow looks up in Shimla, hotel occupancy 45%

The festive season and this weekend gave the much-needed boost to the lacklustre tourism sector in the state’s capital as tourists made a beeline to spend their holidays in Shimla, one of the most popular hill stations of the country.

As a result of this tourist inflow, the hotel occupancy in the town reached around 40 to 45 per cent compared to the average 10 to 15 per cent.

A large number of tourists were seen enjoying and taking a stroll on the iconic Ridge and The Mall, two of the most popular tourist spots in the town. The tourist rush in the town, meanwhile, started to decline as Sunday passed.

Anita, a tourist from Delhi who came to Shimla along with her family members, said Shimla had been her favourite hill station as she used to come here during her childhood and had fond memories of the town. She said due to the long weekend, her family decided to visit Shimla after Diwali. “The air quality here is much better than Delhi, therefore it is a relief for us to breathe fresh air in this hill station,” she said.

Mohinder Seth, President, Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association, said there was a slight increase in the inflow of tourists on Saturday due to which hotel occupancy shot up in the town, bringing slight relief to the stakeholders.

He said the hotel business is very low since July this year and is yet to pick up. He said the stakeholders were hopeful that the business would pick up again in the coming weeks, citing the winter season and holidays as the reason.

“The tourism business in the town is not what it used to be. Over the past few years, weekend tourism is also on the decline as very few tourists visit the town. To make matter worse, the business is also being affected by the unregistered BnBs and homestays in and outside the town,” he said.