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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
After lean start in May, tourist footfall sees rise in Himachal
After witnessing a slowdown in tourist footfall last month due to the escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, Himachal Pradesh has seen a significant increase in tourist arrivals so far in June. The hotel occupancy has also risen in the first week of June, and hoteliers in the hill state are hopeful that the footfall will further increase in the coming weeks. In May, the tourism industry in Himachal suffered losses as many tourists cancelled their bookings amid uncertainty. Tourism stakeholders said that people were hesitant to travel due to the prevailing situation at the time. The closure of airports further restricted movement, adversely affecting tourism in the state. Shimla hotels and tourism stakeholders' association president Mohinder Kumar Seth said that the recent long weekend, due to Eid, helped boost tourism, with hotel occupancy in Shimla reaching around 80–90%. 'The first week of June was better from a tourism perspective compared to the previous month, with occupancy touching up to 50% during weekdays. Last month, there was a steep decline in tourist footfall, and hotel occupancy was only around 20%, leading to significant losses for hoteliers,' he said. 'Since hotels are usually almost fully booked during June, we are expecting occupancy to rise further in the coming weeks, judging by the trend in the first week,' he added. Due to the sharp decline in tourist arrivals last month, hoteliers in Dharamshala even offered discounts on bookings. Traditionally, the peak tourism season in Himachal begins around May 21. However, this year, hotel occupancy in Dharamshala dropped significantly in May, remaining at around 30%. Ashwani Bamba, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association, Dharamshala, said that the average hotel occupancy on this weekend was around 80% in Dharamshala and on weekdays it reached to around 50-55%. 'As the temperature in plains is increasing and summer vacations announced in Punjab schools, we expect that the hotel occupancy in Himachal will hover around 75% in coming days till the arrival of monsoon in the state,' he said. Meanwhile, Manali in Kullu district has also seen a surge in the number of tourists in recent days. Anup Thakur, president of the Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal, said that the hotel occupancy which had plummeted during May has gone up now. At present, the occupancy is around 70% and we are hoping that it is further increased in coming weeks. Mostly, the tourists visiting are from neighboring states but there are some tourists from other states as well,' he said.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Tourist footfall dips, hoteliers offer 20% discount in Dharamshala
In the wake of a sharp decline in tourism after India-Pakistan tension post Operation Sindoor, hoteliers in Dharamshala have announced a 20% discount to attract visitors back to the region. The Hotel and Restaurant Association, Dharamshala, while condemning the Pahalgam (J&K) attack, said the act of violence raised concerns among travellers across the country and abroad. 'We want to assure all tourists that Dharamshala and the entire Himachal region remain completely peaceful and safe,' said Ashwani Bamba, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association, Dharamshala. Hoteliers in Dharamshala said that a wave of cancellations was seen following the recent escalation in hostilities between India and Pakistan. Traditionally, the peak tourism season in Himachal Pradesh begins around May 21. However, this year, hotel occupancy has plummeted and remains at around 30% currently, as many tourists remain apprehensive about traveling amid the prevailing tensions. 'This is typically the time of year when hotels are fully booked,' said a representative of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Dharamshala. 'But due to the current situation, we are seeing an unusually low tourist footfall.' 'We urge tourists not to cancel or postpone their bookings,' the association said. As bookings begin to recover, hoteliers in Dharamshala reported a hotel occupancy of 40% last Saturday. They anticipate occupancy to remain between 40–45% through the remaining days of May, with expectations that it could rise to over 70% by June.
New Indian Express
03-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Tourists cancel Kashmir bookings, shift to Himachal after Pahalgam attack fallout
CHANDIGARH: Tourists now prefer vacationing in Himachal Pradesh over Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 persons were killed. Approximately 15-20% of both domestic and international bookings have shifted from Kashmir to Himachal's popular destinations including Manali, Shimla and Dharamshala; however, the surge in footfall is not as expected as tourists have adopted a 'wait-and-watch' policy amid prevailing uncertainties and hostilities between India and Pakistan. Ashwani Bamba, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kangra, told TNIE that, after the terror attack, tour operators and potential tourists inquired for booking in Himachal and Uttarakhand and that they expected the surge to be significant. "But, actually only 15-20% of tourists shifted from J&K to Himachal and the rest probably prefer to not venture out during this summer season owing to the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Thus, the occupancy of hotels across the state at present is around 40% only, the same as last year. Bookings that were shifted were that of tourist groups traveling from Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states, not the immediate bookings in Kashmir which had gotten cancelled," he said. Bamba added that, in Himachal, Manali had the maximum number of shifted bookings at about 20%, while Dharamsala, Dalhousir and Shimla had much fewer. He said that advance bookings had already been made for the IPL matches in Dharamsala.
New Indian Express
03-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Tourists cancelled bookings in Kashmir, shifted to Himachal amid Indo-Pak relations
CHANDIGARH: Tourists now prefer vacationing in Himachal Pradesh over Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 persons were killed. Approximately 15-20% of both domestic and international bookings have shifted from Kashmir to Himachal's popular destinations including Manali, Shimla and Dharamshala; however, the surge in footfall is not as expected as tourists have adopted a 'wait-and-watch' policy amid prevailing uncertainties and hostilities between India and Pakistan. Ashwani Bamba, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kangra, told TNIE that, after the terror attack, tour operators and potential tourists inquired for booking in Himachal and Uttarakhand and that they expected the surge to be significant. "But, actually only 15-20% of tourists shifted from J&K to Himachal and the rest probably prefer to not venture out during this summer season owing to the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Thus, the occupancy of hotels across the state at present is around 40% only, the same as last year. Bookings that were shifted were that of tourist groups traveling from Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states, not the immediate bookings in Kashmir which had gotten cancelled," he said. Bamba added that, in Himachal, Manali had the maximum number of shifted bookings at about 20%, while Dharamsala, Dalhousir and Shimla had much fewer. He said that advance bookings had already been made for the IPL matches in Dharamsala.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Dharamshala tourism braces for boost as IPL fever draws close
Dharamshala The tourism and hospitality industry in Dharamshala, which was reeling under a lean patch in winters, is likely to get a boost as three Indian Premier League (IPL) matches will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium. Tourism stakeholders expect a rise in visitors as the Punjab Kings will play three matches at the city's picturesque stadium — against Lucknow Super Giants (May 4), against Delhi Capitals (May 8) and against Mumbai Indians (May 11). The Dharamshala stadium is the Punjab Kings's adopted home ground. Hotel occupancy is also expected to see a significant increase in the period. Hoteliers had attributed the decline in occupancy during winters to scarce snowfall and the Mahakumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Hotels saw an occupancy of nearly 20% in January and February. As the offline sales of the tickets have started, fans have made beelines in front of the sale windows at the stadium. Dharamshala Hotel Association president Ashwani Bamba said a surge in visitors is expected in Dharamshala during the match days. 'Two matches are scheduled over the weekend, and we anticipate an increase in hotel occupancy,' he said. 'We expect occupancy in lower Dharamshala to rise to over 70% as visitors prefer hotels closer to the stadium. In contrast, hotel occupancy in upper Dharamshala is not expected to see much change, except a few ones,' he added. He said that the matches will boost tourism in nearby areas, such as Palampur, as well. Stakeholders said tourists coming for IPL matches from other states tend to visit other places as well. Kangra district tourism development officer Vinay Dhiman said, 'We expect a higher footfall of tourists during the IPL matches in Dharamshala.' The tour and travel businesses are also expecting an increase in business during the match days. Kangra district president of joint action committee of the All Himachal Taxi Association Varun Thakur said they are expecting an increase in tourists from nearby states and strong business during the matches. 'This is already the tourist season and the IPL matches will further boost the inflow,' he said. The Kangra administration recently held a meeting regarding the upcoming IPL matches, during which the departments concerned were told to prepare and the police were directed to ensure law and order during the match days.
