Following relaxations by Himachal govt, tourists make a beeline to Manali

Abhinav Vashisht

Manali, July 5

After almost 15 months Manali is again abuzz with tourists thronging Solang, Vashisht and the latest attraction, the Rohtang tunnel.

The hoteliers are happy with most properties registering high occupancy.

The tourist rush is highest on weekends, though the influx continues through the week with the mercury rising in the plains.

Within a fortnight after June 14 when the state government announced Covid relaxations, as many as 23,900 outside vehicles paid the green tax charged by the Tourism Development Council, Kullu.

Tourists from Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, who are flocking to Manali, are indulging in adventure activities like rock climbing, trekking and river rafting in the Beas.

Large numbers of tourists are arriving in Manali en route to Leh-Ladakh, which, too, is contributing to reviving the tourism industry. The taxi owners are also relieved.

The tourism industry had taken a severe beating after the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic as hotels, guesthouses and home-stays had suffered huge losses.

According to hoteliers, over 5,000 outside vehicles are entering the hill town on weekends.

Majority of the popular tourist destinations in Himachal - Kasauli, Kullu-Manali, Shimla-Kufri-Narkanda, Dalhousie-Khajjiar - are witnessing huge tourist rush, especially on weekends.