Dharamshala hotel bookings plummet, cancellations pour in
DHARAMSHALA/SHIMLA: Dharamshala and Mcleodganj, the two tranquil tourist destinations of Himachal, have been hit hard by the ripple effects of coronavirus scare. The number of foreign visitors and domestic tourists has dropped, taking a heavy toll on tourism and hospitality businesses in the twin-town. This is even as the abode of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has reported no coronavirus cases. The cancellation of the Dalai Lama’s sermons, also due to the scare, has only added to the bleak projections for tourism this season.
There has been large-scale cancellation of groups from abroad. “Winters are already a low-key season for tourism in the region as it starts in February-end. However, the coronavirus scare has drastically hit tourism this year,” said Prem Sagar, who has been into the travel business for over four decades.
Sagar added he had bookings of two foreign groups, from Australia and Germany, for March; both had been cancelled. “These are not isolated instances, but a large number of group tours from abroad have been cancelled. The cancellation figure may cross 90%,” said Sagar, who is credited with pioneering trekking and mountaineering in this region.
He added that if the situation did not improve, travel businesses would suffer huge losses in the two towns, considered to offer a blend of adventure and spirituality for the discerning tourist.
In a normal season, around 2 lakh foreign tourists from across the globe, a large proportion of them from Southeast Asian Countries and China visit Dharamshala annually; the domestic tourist figure is around 15 lakh.
BOOKINGS DROP TO 10%
There has been a sharp fall in hotel bookings. “Hotel bookings have dropped to around 10%,” said Ram Swaroop Sharma, chief advisor, Hotel Association of Mcleodganj, Dharamshala. He added that the tourist influx was negligible even as this was the time for Losar, the Tibetan New Year, celebrations, all due to the coronavirus scare.
He added that the slump will hit economy and jobs. “Revival will be difficult if the situation does not improve over the next few days,” he added.
Kangra tourism deputy director Sunayana Sharma said Dharamshala is visited by a lot of foreign tourists, especially the Chinese, for being home to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama.
“Definitely, tourism has been hit. The government has set up a mechanism for quarantining suspect cases and all precautions are being taken,” she added.
DALAI LAMA’S SERMONS CANCELLED
Cancellation of the sermons of the Dalai Lama on March 9 has added to the woes of the tourism businesses. The 84-year-old spiritual leader delivered his sermons around this time of the year. These were attended by a large number of devotees from the western world and Buddhist followers from the Southeast Asian countries.
“As a precautionary measure, in view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, all engagements of His Holiness the Dalai Lama remain indefinitely postponed,” a statement on the Dalai Lama’s website says.
LOW-KEY START TO TIBETAN NEW YEAR
Losar, The Tibetan New Year 2147 that began here also remained a low-key affair. Foreign devotees have been skipping the three-day festival, the Tibetan community in exile has also kept the celebrations sombre and subdued.
In his New Year Message, the president the Tibetan government in exile, Lobsang Sangay, said: “This year we might not able to celebrate it (Losar) with the great merriment and aplomb due to the spread of coronavirus in Tibet. We are deeply concerned for the well-being of our brothers and sisters and pray that the epidemic is contained soon.”
MINIMAL IMPACT IN MANALI
The crisis has had a minimal impact in Manali. Kullu tourism officer Manali Hotel and Restaurant Association president Gajendra Thakur said hotel occupancy in Manali was around 45% which was slightly lower than normal, but was not a significant dip.