DEHRADUN: The recent rains and landslides in Uttarkashi's Dharali have cast a long shadow over Uttarakhand's world-renowned tourism industry, severely impacting popular hill station Nainital and partially affecting Mussoorie. New bookings for both destinations have slowed down, sending shockwaves through the local economy.
The tourism sector, which had pinned its hopes on the upcoming Independence Day long weekend, has seen a devastating wave of cancellations following the Dharali tragedy. Hoteliers are now urgently appealing to the district administration and the state government for meaningful intervention to safeguard their livelihoods.
"The disaster in Dharali has truly cursed our tourism business," lamented a local hotelier. "Before Independence Day, 80 percent of hotel bookings have been cancelled."
After a challenging peak season in May and June, tourism operators had anticipated a significant boost during the Independence Day holidays. However, the May season itself was largely a washout due to various incidents, including the Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, and public outcry over a child rape case in Nainital.
Digvijay Singh Bisht, President of the Nainital Hotel & Restaurant Association, confirmed the grim situation to this newspaper. "80 percent of bookings in various hotels in Nainital have been cancelled," he stated. "Earlier, tourists used to inquire about weather conditions before booking, but now, phones aren't ringing at all."
In contrast, Mussoorie has experienced a comparatively lesser impact. Sanjay Agarwal, President of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, told TNIE, "Mussoorie has seen about 5 to 10% booking cancellations. However, bookings around the August 15th holidays are still normal."
Hotel owners believe that early and heavy monsoon rains had already dampened earnings in June and July. They had pinned their hopes on the upcoming string of holidays, including Rakshabandhan, Independence Day, Janmashtami, and weekend breaks, but the Dharali disaster has effectively dashed those expectations.
Tribhuvan Fartyal, President of the Pangot Hotel and Restaurant Association, echoed the sentiment. "Hotel and resort owners were expecting good tourism during Independence Day. Advance bookings were building strong hopes, but more than half of those bookings have been cancelled within six days of the Dharali incident."
Rajendra Kapil, President of the Bhawali Hotel and Restaurant Association, highlighted another contributing factor. "Bookings have been consistently cancelled over the past few days. Tourists are afraid to come here due to misleading information on social media portraying the entire Uttarakhand as unsafe."
Sudarshan Shah, President of the Mukteshwar Hotel Association, called for immediate government action. "Due to various reasons, the tourism season in May and June this year was weaker compared to previous years. Then, this disaster shattered our hopes. The government and administration must send a positive message to support the tourism businesses."
