Hotels lure tourists with big discounts

Travel to the land of swirling mists and luscious red apples will be far cheaper this season because the Himachal government is offering huge discounts to woo the monsoon-weary traveller from the plains.

"The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation (HPTDC) is offering discounts of 25-50 per cent at most hotels," said Tarun Siridhar, managing director, HPTDC.

"The package began last week and will continue till September 14. The state has been divided into four sectors--Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Dharamasala-Chamba, and Chail-Solan," said Siridhar here.

"There is discount on boarding, lodging, transport, and local sight-seeing tours," he explained.

Heavy rains in the hill state this season caused flash floods in several parts earlier this month, leading to cancellations of hotel bookings by many. Also, before the monsoon started, the state was hit on June 25 by flash floods when the Sutlej rose alarmingly by almost 50 feet in some parts when an artificial lake burst in Tibet.

The damage to houses, roads, bridges and farmland mainly in tribal Kinnaur has been estimated at around Rs 800 crore. Almost 1,000 tourists were evacuated by air from Kinnaur, which still remains cut off from the rest of the country.

"The recent flash floods have hit the tourism industry. This is a move by the government to restore the confidence of the domestic tourists when the state is facing growing tourism competition from Jammu & Kashmir," said a travel agent, not wishing to be named. Traditionally the monsoon is high season for Western tourists to visit the hill state.