Mild winter hits Himachal tourism

A not so cold winter coupled with little snow in most resorts of Himachal Pradesh has so far kept holiday makers away from the hill state.

According to estimates, tourist arrival in the state has down by around forty per cent and is likely to remain low, unless more snow flakes gather around the mountains and moulds of the hill state's popular resort towns in the next fortnight.

"From mid November to the end of February, hotel occupancy in most winters averages around 70 per cent in Shimla and other hill stations, but this time it has come down to around 25 per cent a year," said Mohinder Seth, president, Shimla Hotel and Restaurants Association.

In the current year, only Manali and Dalhousie have seen normal arrivals while Shimla, Dharamsala, Kasauli, Chail,Narkanda, Kufri and other resorts have mostly seen empty hotel rooms, owing to a lack of snowfall this winter.

Shimla has so far received only two very light snow spells. The hotels here are lying vacant since the time of Xmas and New Years eve. Only Manali and the overlooking Solang ski slopes have received a heavy snowfall last month, a star attraction for tourists and Bollywood alike.

"There is definitely a drop in arrivals across Himachal this winter we do feel the need for exploring lesser known resorts and cheaper packages to attract tourists," said Manoj Sharma, deputy director, Himachal toursim department.

There are over 1,500 hotels and guest houses in all the resorts of the hill state bulk of them being in Shimla and Manali.

The winter has also been less severe in the state's sprawling tribal belt of Kinnaur, Lahual & Spiti and Bharmaur even though this high mountian region continues to remain cut of from the rest of the country.

The Border Roads Organisation is planning to open the 3985 metre high Rohtang pass in the next few weeks instead of waiting till summer, to boost tourist arrivals.