Tourism in Himachal Pradesh: From the Depths of Despair to a Glimmer of Recovery. 

SHIMLA: Over the past six months, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a  surge in tourist arrivals, with numbers reaching a staggering one crore.

The state's natural beauty continues to captivate the tourists from across India and abroad.

However, the story behind these numbers is far more nuanced than it appears.

Last year, 2023, was a disastrous year for Himachal’s people and its  tourism.

According to the Himachal Pradesh Tourism, a total of 6 million tourists visited the state in 2023, including 5.5 million domestic tourists and 500,000 foreign tourists.

However, over 800,000 tourists had to be evacuated due to devastating floods and relentless rains, plunging the state’s tourism industry to rock bottom.

Tourism is a vital sector for Himachal Pradesh, contributing significantly to its GDP.

It accounts for about  7.5% of the state's GDP, providing livelihoods to over 300,000 people directly and indirectly.

The tourism industry generates substantial business for local hoteliers, travel agents, homestay owners, and other related services, creating a ripple effect throughout the state's economy.

Hoteliers in Shimla and Manali recall that while May and June saw a good influx of tourists, July was a dismal month.

In Shimla, only weekend visitors kept the businesses afloat. The Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) inaccurate predictions of heavy rainfall further dissuaded potential visitors, causing hotel occupancy rates to plummet.

The situation was exacerbated by a recent cloudburst at Anjani Mahadev in the upper Solang Valley, which was the final blow for travel agents and hoteliers already reeling from poor tourist numbers.

Moreover, the tourists crossing the Atal Tunnel to the north portal in Lahaul-Spiti often returned to Manali, yet they were still counted as tourists to Lahaul-Spiti.

Homestay owners in Lahaul highlighted that most tourists who venture towards Leh transit through Lahaul, giving an inflated impression of tourism in the region.

The media and tourism department further distort this picture by counting tourists visiting Rohtang Pass as visitors to Lahaul-Spiti, despite over 90 percent of them returning to Manali.

HP Tourism needs to have its more reliable and robust data and medis needs to apple its commonsense on tourist arrivals in Lahaul-Spiti. 

Despite these challenges, the Himachal Pradesh government remains committed to making the state a top tourism destination.

Various plans are in the pipeline to enhance the tourism experience and make the “Devbhumi” (Land of Gods) even more appealing to visitors.

The road to recovery has been rocky, but there is a glimmer of hope. The first half of 2024 saw a remarkable increase in tourist arrivals, with 10 million visitors, including 9.5 million domestic tourists and 500,000 foreign tourists.

Notably, a significant portion of these tourists were pilgrims visiting the Shakti Peeths, amounting to around 7 million.

As the state emerges from one of its worst seasons, stakeholders are cautiously optimistic about the future.

With better planning, accurate weather forecasts, and sustained efforts to promote tourism, proactive stakeholders Himachal Pradesh aims to reclaim its status as one of India’s most beautiful states offering something everyone.

 While the current surge in tourist numbers is promising, the reality is more complex.

The journey to recovery is ongoing, and the tourism sector in Himachal Pradesh still has a long way to go before it can fully bounce back from the setbacks of 2023 and 2020 Corona Pandemic.