CHANDIGARH: In the first six months of this year, Himachal Pradesh recorded 1.06 crore tourists, which is the highest as compared to last five years. However, tourist footfall witnessed a sharp decline this month due to the heavy rains that led to flashfloods and landslides.
Amit Kashyap, Director, Tourism of Himachal Pradesh, said, “Due to our strategy of revival of tourism post covid, we had the highest tourists foot fall in the first six months of this year. Heavy rains in July led to a decline in the same. State government is aware of the situation and the infrastructure is being geared up.”
The hotel industry has demanded waivers in taxes and concessions in order to cope with the beating that the tourism sector is expected to take. Meanwhile, the bodies of three people who were swept away along with their roadside eatery in a flash flood were recovered from the Pabbar river in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, police said. Search is on for 11 passengers of a Punjab state bus.