Empty roads. No traffic. Open space parking. When you hear these phrases, several places might spring to mind – but Nainital in Uttarakhand is probably not one of them, especially during this time of year. Usually overwhelmed by tourists, Nainital and its residents are now experiencing something unusual; and for many, it’s far from welcome.
This shift is the result of a significant drop in the number of tourists visiting the town. According to locals we spoke to, this decline couldn’t have come at a worse time – May and June – the summer months, and traditionally the peak season for tourism.
’90 Per Cent Drop In Occupancy’
Digvijay Singh Bisht, President of the Nainital Hotel Association, informs NDTV of a massive fall in hotel and resort bookings. He says occupancy rates have plunged by as much as 90 per cent in the last month.
“Bookings were cancelled even for June. There were no walk-in guests. It’s not the same as in the previous years,” Bisht tells NDTV.
NDTV spoke to other hoteliers, cab service providers and local business owners in Nainital, and nearly all of them echoed the same concern – a sharp and sudden decline in the number of tourists visiting the ‘lake district’ of India.
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