The Jat agitation in Haryana has impacted weekend tourism in Himachal, leaving the hoteliers high and dry.
Hundreds of bookings were cancelled as the tourists get stuck on the way.
Several tourists on their way to Shimla and other places passing through Haryana were harried lot as their vehicles were stranded or they preferred to abandon their journey mid-way and parked their vehicles off the road for safety.
The Kullu and Manali bound tourists from Punjab were fortunate as no part of Haryana was enroute, but tourists headed for Shimla, Kasauli, Chail, Barog and upper Shimla region had a harrowing time and some of them had to be confined in their vehicles for ten to fifteen hours.
The Volvo buses of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Coporation from Shimla to key tourist destinations also did not ply.
The agitation has hit tourism badly and we pray that the agitation ends soon, said Vijay Sharma, General Manager of State Tourism Corporation.
The Himachal Road Transport Corporation had also suspended bus services on all routes passing through Haryana.
We have suspended all HRTC buses passing through Haryana due to law and order problems in the state and the services would be resumed only after Haryana government assures safety of the buses and passengers, Transport Minister G S Bali said.
