Shimla/Kullu
A huge crowd of tourists is gathering in Himachal for the New Year celebrations. On Sunday also, there was a rush of tourists at Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, and other tourist places. Lakhs of people are expected to reach the tourist places of the state on New Year. Shimla’s Ridge Maidan and Manali’s Mall Road will be very lively till midnight.
Occupancy in hotels at tourist places in Himachal has reached 90 percent. All hotels are expected to be packed on New Year. Due to New Year celebrations, markets will also remain open till midnight. The Chief Minister has also instructed the police personnel not to be strict with the tourists. After the fresh snowfall, there has been a huge increase in the number of tourists coming to Himachal to welcome the New Year. Tourists from Shimla are heading to Kufri Narkanda to enjoy the frolic in the snow. Snow is also attracting tourists in Manali.
On the other hand, Manali will be abuzz on New Year’s Eve on 31 December. Tourists are arriving in Manali to celebrate the New Year. Many big hotels are packed. Due to snowfall, the number of tourists is expected to increase this year compared to last year. According to the data, 2160 tourist vehicles from outside states came to Manali on 28 December, 2338 on 27 December, 2194 on 26 December, and 2256 on 25 December. Apart from this, more than 120 Volvo buses are also coming to Manali every day. Outgoing President of Hotelier Association Mukesh Thakur said that currently 90 percent occupancy is going on in Manali. There is a strong possibility of Manali being packed on 30 and 31 December. President of the Himachal Tour and Travel Agents Association, Naveen Paul, said that tourists are flocking to tourist places to celebrate New Year.
Due to an increase in the number of tourists, tourist places have become more lively. In the afternoon, tourists played a lot in the snow at Solanganala and Hidimba Temple. Vashisht and Naggar Castle also witnessed a lot of liveliness. As the evening approached, a crowd of tourists gathered at Manali’s Mall Road. Along with roaming in the mall road, the tourists went shopping and tasted delicious food. There will be a lot of fun in Manali’s hotels on New Year’s Eve on 31st December. Tourists will dance a lot to the tune of DJ. Competitions like Lemon Dance, Paper Dance, and Couple Dance will also be organized for the tourists. There will be a lot of fun on Kullvi Naati too.
