White Christmas to elude Shimla again
Disappointment for tourists anticipating snow and hoteliers too who were hoping for roaring business
MET HAS PREDICTED CLEAR SKY FOR THE NEXT EIGHT TO 10 DAYS; NIGHT TEMPERATURE TO SEE A DIP
SHIMLA : At a time when hoteliers in Shimla are expecting a heavy rush after a lean season, the meteorological department has predicted dry weather for the next one week, dashing hopes of white Christmas that attracts hordes of visitors to the hill town.
“There are no western disturbances for the next eight days. The sky will remain clear for the next eight to ten days,” said Shimla Met centre director Manmohan Singh, adding, “The night temperature across the state is also likely to see a dip due to the clear sky.”
On Friday, state capital Shimla, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.5°C, Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded a low of -3.4°C while Kufri and Manali recorded 2.7°C and -1.4° C respectively. Dharamshala recorded a minimum of 6.6° C, Palampur 3.0° C, Chamba 0.8° C and Dalhousie 6.2° C.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of snow, many tourists have booked rooms in advance. “Our hotel is full to capacity for Christmas and we are constantly receiving queries about snowfall,” says MD Sharma, the front office manager at Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC)’S flagship Hotel Holiday home in Shimla. “About 80% of the rooms have been booked for New Year too,” he added.
“We have been receiving a lot of queries for Christmas and New Year,” says Suresh Dogra, who runs a travel agency on the Mall Road. Shimla attracts a large number of tourists from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and New Delhi.
Snow has been eluding Shimla for the past several years. It was only in 2016 that Shimla experienced snowfall on Christmas after 25 years. Tourism in Shimla had been adversely hit due to water scarcity that hit town in the May end, the peak tourist season. “White Christmas eluding Shimla will definitely impact tourism business,” says Prince Kukreja, vice-president of the Shimla hoteliers and restaurateurs association.
In wake of the festive season, Shimla administration will be running a special Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) taxi service from the newly dedicated parking complex at Inter State Bus Terminal for the benefit of tourists. “I have directed the administration to take appropriate measure to provide adequate parking facility for locals and tourists and ensure smooth flow of traffic,” said deputy commissioner Amit Kashyap.