The war between America, Israel and Iran has now started affecting the tourism industry of Himachal Pradesh. The fear of shortage of LPG cylinders and petro-diesel has worried both tourists and tourism businessmen. Due to this, advance bookings in hotels are being canceled and hotel-restaurant businessmen are facing losses worth lakhs of rupees. There is a huge shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in the state for the last four-five days. Hotel, restaurant and dhaba operators are not getting commercial cylinders. In such a situation, hoteliers who do not have sufficient stock of LPG left are themselves being forced to cancel the bookings of tourists. On the other hand, many tourists are also changing their plans to visit the mountains and canceling their advance bookings due to the news of possible shortage of petrol and diesel. Meanwhile, some hoteliers have started cooking food using wood burning stoves. Some businessmen are also cooking food on induction. People associated with the tourism business say that if the ongoing tension in the Gulf countries continues for a long time, then Himachal’s tourism industry may face a major setback in the coming summer season. During the summer months, a large part of the state’s economy depends on tourism and it is during this time that hotels, travel agencies, taxi operators, restaurants and small businessmen get the most work of the year. Up to 50 percent of bookings cancelled, loss of lakhs. Rajiv Bhardwaj, owner of Shimla-based Landmark Hotel, said that 50 percent of his advance bookings have been canceled in four-five days. Due to this he has suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees. An atmosphere of panic has arisen even among the tourists, whereas the actual situation is not that serious. Rajeev Bhardwaj told that due to shortage of LPG he had to make alternative arrangements in the hotel. He has installed a wood stove for cooking and has also ordered induction stove, so that the tourists staying in the hotel do not face any kind of problem. Along with this, the hotel menu also had to be changed. Long-cooking dishes like rajma and chickpeas have been discontinued for now, while quick-cooking pulses and light meals have been included in the menu. He said that on normal days the hotels used to be full on weekends, but this time the business has almost come to a standstill. Anxiety increased in Manali too: There is an atmosphere of anxiety among hotel businessmen in the tourist city of Manali also. Manali hotelier Anoop Thakur admitted that the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Gulf countries is gradually becoming visible on the tourism business. He said that if the situation does not become normal soon, the tourism industry may face a big blow in the coming days. Anoop Thakur has demanded from the government that a clear situation should be brought out regarding the supply of petrol, diesel and LPG, so that the apprehension spread among the tourists can be removed and the tourism business remains normal. There is no shortage of petrol and diesel at present, however, petrol pump operators say that there is no major shortage of petrol and diesel in the state at present. According to Amit Nanda, petrol pump operator of Shimla, additional stock is not available as before, but the supply is as per the demand and no driver has to return empty handed. Seeking intervention from the government, Himachal Hotelier Association has written a letter to the state government informing about the situation amid cancellation of advance booking and problem in gas supply. Association President MK Seth has demanded from the government to ensure regular supply of petrol, diesel and LPG, so that the crisis on the tourism industry can be prevented from deepening. Tourism traders say that if the situation is not handled in time, the number of thousands of tourists coming to Himachal in the summer season may be affected, which will have a direct impact on the economy of the state and the livelihood of millions of people.
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हिमाचल के टूरिज्म पर मिडिल ईस्ट में तनाव का इम्पैक्ट: होटलों में 50% एडवांस बुकिंग कैंसिल, LPG की किल्लत; होटेलियर ने आग के चूल्हे निकाले – Shimla News
