Saturday, 10 February 2024 | PNS | NAINITAL
The violence in Haldwani and the curfew imposed in the city since Thursday affected the tourist inflow in Nainital city on Friday. Those in the tourism related businesses in Nainital were hoping for good business from tourists on the weekend. However, the violence in Haldwani and restrictions imposed by the authority to maintain law and order also resulted in a drop in the number of tourists arriving here on Friday. The number of tourists here were considerably less compared to the crowds that gather in the lake city for the weekend. Many of the popular tourist spots in Nainital and nearby areas wore a deserted look on Friday. Those in the tourism and hospitality business state that the number of tourists visiting Nainital had started to rise on the last weekend. They were expecting that the number of tourists would rise further on this weekend. However, the violence which left five dead and several injured in Haldwani also resulted in a drop in tourist numbers here. Even as tourist numbers remained low in Nainital city, the other popular tourist destinations nearby including Pangot, Khurpatal, Sattal, Ramgarh and Mukteshwar also witnessed a considerable drop in tourist traffic on Friday. The popular tourist spots in Nainital which are generally crowded on the weekend including Snow View, the zoo, Cave Garden, Himalay Darshan and Hanumangarhi wore a deserted look throughout most of the day. Only a few tourists could be seen enjoying boating in the Naini lake while the Mall Road also witnessed sparse traffic in the evening. Those in the tourism and hospitality business opined that though Nainital city has remained unaffected by the violence in Haldwani, many tourists may have changed their plans to visit the lake city following the riot and restrictions imposed by the authorities in some parts of the district to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, the police were in an alert mode in the city. Police presence was seen near the local mosque and in some other areas of the city.
