DEHRADUN: In the wake of forest fires in Uttarakhand, especially in the Kumaon region, more than 250 tourists from across the country have cancelled their pre-booked accommodations in the Nainital and Bhawali hotels. For the past several days, wildfires have been raging in the forests surrounding Nainital city.
The Army’s helicopters have been called in to help extinguish the inferno. Upon receiving news through social media and other channels, tourists are cancelling their advance bookings.
Over 250 reservations have been voided in two days as a consequence, as per information collected by this newspaper.
A substantial 70% of these bookings were previously secured for May. Meanwhile, within the Nainital division, a total of 300 forest workers and 300 fire watchers are diligently overseeing the ongoing fire incidents. With the help of the team, efforts are being made to control the fire.
Speaking to this newspaper, Digvijay Singh Bisht, the President of the Nainital Hotel and Restaurant Association, expressed concerns regarding the impact of the forest fires in Nainital on tourism.
“The tourists from various regions of the country have been inquiring about the situation and some are hastily cancelling their advance bookings”, said Bisht.
Around 250 bookings of hotels in Nainital and nearby Bhauwali and Bhimtal areas have been cancelled. “The government and local administration should step in and provide accurate information through a bulletin to help tourists take decisions about visiting the area during the upcoming tourist season. These steps will prove effective and sustain the influx of tourists”, elaborated Bisht. “Failure to do so could severely impact the tourism industry in Nainital,” he added.
Divisional Forest Officer Chandrashekhar Joshi said, “Multiple forest fires occurred in the Nainital division, all of which have now been contained.
Wildfires in Nainital
For the past several days, wildfires have been raging in the forests surrounding Nainital. Army choppers have been pressed into service to contain the fires. Around 250 bookings of hotels in Nainital have been cancelled.