Himachal: Tourists rerouting trips to hill stations; hotels witness increase in inquiries
Condemning the attack, adviser of Shimla hotels and tourism stakeholders association Anil Walia said that owing to the unfortunate incident the shift in tourists route was expected
Following the Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam, the travellers are reconsidering their plans to visit Kashmir and are shifting towards Himachal Pradesh, leading to sharp increase in bookings and inquiries across the hill stations, including Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala.
Condemning the attack, adviser of Shimla hotels and tourism stakeholders association Anil Walia said, “Owing to the unfortunate incident the shift in tourists route was expected. Though this will be of short term as the tourism sector in Kashmir will also bounce back.”
“Since last evening, we have seen a spike in fresh online inquiries from many from tourists, who had originally planned to visit Srinagar,” said Gajinder Thakur, president of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA), adding, “Owing to the inhuman Pahalgam tragedy, Himachal will witness a spike in tourist inflow surpassing previous years.”
“The state must ensure the safety of the tourists and deploy special police force at tourist spots across the state,” Gajinder said.
President of Shimla hotels and tourism stakeholders’ association Mohinder Kumar Seth, said, “We saw an unexpected spike in bookings across Shimla hotels just in the last 24 hours.”
Dharamshala hotel association president Ashwani Bamba said tourists who plan trips from April onwards usually make their arrangements well in advance, and these are typically family vacations. “So, instead of cancelling their bookings, most people will change destination,” he said, adding, “And given the recent incident in Kashmir, the majority of the tourists are expected to be shifting towards Himachal and Uttarakhand.
“The process of diverting bookings has already started, with most heading toward Manali,” he added. “Other destinations like Dharamshala and Dalhousie are also getting redirected bookings.”
