Tourist electricity in Dharamsala in the middle of fear of war

Three upcoming IPL games in Dharamsala have not led to a significant increase in tourism in the region. According to local hoteliers, the hotel occupancy in the lower Dharamsala is around 70 percent in the coming week, while the areas of the upper Dharamsala – including McLeodganj, Bhagsunag and Dharamkot – have only reported 35–40 percent bookings.

After the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the hoteliers attribute the oppressed tourist participation with Pakistan to increased tensions. Ashwani Bamba, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kangra, said, while the inquiries from tour operators have an initial increase in inquiries to redirect groups of Jammu and Kashmir to Himachal Pradesh. These inquiries have failed to convert into confirmed bookings.

“The aggressive rhetoric in electronic and social media has negatively influenced tourism,” said Bamba. He added that several tourist groups from Maharashtra and Gujarat had canceled their plans because they feared to break out between Indians and Pakistan.

Ravi Sharma, another hotelier, said that the fear of the war was particularly deterred by tourists from southern countries. “Many groups have canceled their trips due to the prevailing uncertainty,” he said.

Regarding the IPL games, Sharma said that most spectators should come from neighboring countries such as Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. These visitors usually opt for hotel bookings instead of making pretreatments. “We are confident that the number of tourists will increase during the game days,” he added.

In the meantime, the district administration is preparing for the expected influx of visitors during the IPL games. Kangra SSP SHALINI AGNIHOTRI has announced a disposable traffic plan to be implemented on the game days in Dharamsala. She also confirmed that security was tightened, with around 1,000 police officers being used to manage traffic and maintain law and order.

Dharamsala will organize three IPL games this year. According to the schedule, the first game is played on May 4th. Punjab Kings Xi will compete in Delhi Capitals on May 8th, and on May 11th Punjab Kings Xi will play against Mumbai Indians in the Dharamsala International Cricket Stadium.