Himachal Turns Winter Wonderland! Tourist Rush Boosts Shimla-Manali Business

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The snowfall in high-altitude areas like Kullu-Manali, Chamba-Khajjiar, and Kufri-Narkanda has brought joy to tourism businesses. With fresh snowfall, tourism in Himachal is expected to pick up over the weekend.

For the past few weeks, the number of tourists visiting these places had decreased, but now, with snowfall, visitors are returning. Since Thursday, tourist numbers in Shimla and Manali have been rising, bringing excitement to tourism operators.

Rajendra Thakur, Chairman of the All Himachal Commercial Vehicle Joint Action Committee, said that snowfall would significantly boost tourism in Kullu-Manali, Shimla, Kufri, and Narkanda. Sunny Sharma, Director of Manali’s The Taragarh Palace, mentioned that snowfall always attracts a large number of tourists. Many visitors had been inquiring about snowfall in recent days.

Naveen Paul, President of the Travel Agents Association, expressed hope that tourism will see a rise if snowfall continues. Gajendra Singh Thakur, President of the All Himachal Hotel and Restaurants Association, added that tourism businesses had been waiting for snowfall for a long time and are now expecting good business.

Meanwhile, horticulture experts believe the snowfall will benefit the apple crop, which was at risk due to dry conditions. Many farmers have planted new saplings of Japanese fruit and stone fruits, and the rain and snow will help them survive. Additionally, off-season vegetables and wheat crops, which were drying up, will also benefit from the moisture.