Heavy Rains, Cloud Burst in Himachal Force Tourists to Cancel Bookings, Hotel Occupancy Falls by 35%

A cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala, which triggered a flash flood in the region and cased damage to properties in the tourist hotspot, appears to have discouraged merrymakers from extending their holidays in the region. The heavy rainfall has reportedly led to a 35 per cent decrease in the number of visitors to the hill state.

On Monday, locals shared videos of the flash floods where a small drain took the form of a river after waterlogging and flash floods in the area. The flash floods occurred after cloudburst were reported in the area on Monday that led to incessant rains.

The authorities have put the area on alert after flood like area in the district and are on alert and the state administration is continuously keeping a track of the floods.

Last weekend, the hotel occupancy in Shimla had reached 80 per cent. However, hotel owners reported mass cancellations of bookings this week due to heavy rains.

“There is a 35% decline in hotel occupancy. The flash floods have triggered the drop,” said Sanjay Sood, the president of the Shimla Hotel and Restaurateurs Association, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

After the Covid-related curfews in the state were relaxed, , tourist inflow to the state increased by thousands. By mid-June, around 17 thousand 836 people had applied for entry to the state.

Most of the tourists arriving in the state in June did not follow the Covid 19 protocol during their stay in the state, prompting the central government to write to the state government of Himachal Pradesh to not let their guard down.

After this, security in Manali was increased and the police are now keeping a watch for strict implementation of Covid-19 guidelines among tourists.

Manali is one of the destinations in Himachal Pradesh to receive an overwhelming number of tourists. From June 27 to July 6, the police have issued 308 challans, with fines totalling a whopping Rs 2.77 lakh in Manali.

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