Hotel occupancy hits 80-90 pc in Himachal Pradesh ahead of New year

Shimla, Dec 30 (PTI) With tourists making a beeline to key hill stations of Himachal Pradesh, occupancy in hotels have increased to about 80 per cent in spite of dry weather. Tourism stakeholders and allied trades are upbeat over snowfall forecast on New Year eve and hoping for a surge in tourist inflow.

Majority of hotels in the key tourist destinations of the state, including Shimla and Manali, are packed to capacity and snowfall would be a boon for the tourism industry as occupancy is also expected to increase in hotels in the outskirts of main towns.

"The room occupancy is about 80-90 percent in Manali which is further expected to rise by Wednesday evening and we are pinning hopes that the MeT office forecast of snowfall on New Year eve keeps date, it would be a boon for tourism," President Federation of Himachal hotels and restaurant associations Gajender Thakur told the PTI on Tuesday.

Manali is the most accessible destination to travel and offers a lot of tourist places and activities, he added.

The occupancy is about 80 per cent and is expected to rise with the forecast of snowfall, said Vice President of Shimla Hotels and Restaurants, Prince Kukreja.

The weather is pleasant and carnivals being organised by the authorities are attracting tourists and snowfall would be a gift for the tourists and the locals. Moreover, several hotels in the state capital have organized gala nights for tourists to ring in the New Year in celebrations, he said.

The local Meteorological station on Tuesday predicted light to moderate rain, snow at many places on December 31, and January 1, and light rain, snow at isolated places on December 30, and between January 2 to 5.

It has also issued yellow warning of thunderstorm and lightning and cold wave in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts on December 31 and January 1 and 2 and Thunderstorm and lightning at some places in Solan and Sirmaur districts on January 1.

Himachal is witnessing the driest ever month of December with 99 per cent rain deficit and barring the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district which received 0.7 mm rains, the remaining eleven districts received 100 per cent deficit rains. PTI BPL NB NB