Touts ruining tourism in Shimla, hotel body calls for police action

Shimla, Nov 9 (PTI) The Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA) here has called for immediate action against the dominance of touts, tourist guides, porters, and taxi drivers, saying that they discredit the state's tourism industry, officials said on Sunday.

Drawing the attention of the government and the police towards malpractices affecting tourism and allied industries in Himachal Pradesh, the Federation alleged that registered and unregistered tourist guides, porters, and taxi drivers are chasing tourist vehicles, stopping them and taking them to hotels in exchange for a hefty commission, causing traffic congestion and frequent jams.

In two separate letters addressed to the director general of police (DGP) and principal secretary of tourism, FOHHRA president Gajender Thakur specifically mentioned the state capital, Shimla, where large numbers of tourists arrive in their own vehicles and touts and guides "harass" them.

According to tourism department data, 1,741 tourist guides are registered in the state, of which 409 are registered in the Shimla district. However, the number of guides operating is quite high.

These tourist guides, touts, coolies stand along Shimla's Circular Road, and run after cars shouting "hotel hotel", at times, scaring tourists and tarnishing the image of the state as a safe tourist destination, a local hotelier said.

Running after tourists and other vehicles is prohibited under the Tourism Act. The provisions of the Act are not implemented or followed, causing tourism to suffer, he added.

Urging the government to issue directions to the police to intensify checking at all vulnerable locations, the federation said that these elements also pose a risk to pedestrians, especially school-going children in the morning and evening.

In another letter to the superintendent of police (SP), the president of Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association, M K Seth, urged for immediate action against the touts and unauthorised guides operating in the stretch from the Victory Tunnel to Tara Hall School.

He claimed that taxis regularly park on the roadside on this stretch, obstructing the smooth flow of traffic, and requested strict enforcement of no-parking regulations from Hotel Baljees to the open curve near the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) quarters.

Seth told PTI that a large number of these guides and touts have leased hotels. They are giving rooms at cheap rates to survive and recover the lease money, affecting the business of other hotels. PTI BPL ANM ANM