The off-season slump that began in the town after the monsoon has still not ended. Now, with a few consecutive days of holidays after Diwali and the rising pollution in the plains, there is hope for an increase in tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, hotels have already received 25% advance bookings for the period after Diwal
Impact of Statewide Disasters on Tourism
Nainital’s tourism suffered the brunt of disasters that affected various parts of the state, including Dharali and Tharali. A significant drop in tourist arrivals forced the town’s tourism sector to face a four-month-long off-season, which has severely affected tourism business operators. The hope was to recover during the autumn season, which has so far remained disappointing.
Signs of Recovery with Advance Bookings
However, the advance bookings in hotels have raised hopes for an improvement in tourism conditions. In most high-end hotels in the town, more than 25% of rooms have already been booked in advance. Hotel operators are optimistic that tourism business will see a boost next week. This is expected due to poor air quality in the plains after Diwali. Over the past few years, tourist arrivals have generally increased after Diwali, and this trend is expected to continue this year as well.
Anticipated Tourist Influx from Metro Cities
This time, a large number of tourists are expected from metro cities such as Delhi NCR and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, tourism operators are expecting a good number of Gujarati tourists to visit. Meanwhile, on Sunday, very few tourists were seen in the town. Most tourist spots remained deserted for the majority of the day. The number of visitors for boating was very low, and the usual vibrancy of Mall Road was missing without tourists.
