AFZAL HUSSAIN FAUJI / Nainital
With the tourist season in the lake city of Nainital in its final stages, those associated with the tourism industry said that despite the huge influx of tourists, the business they have made is below par. “Those who have visited this year are unlikely to come back, given the challenges they faced,” said a veteran hotelier. This, however, contradicts the claims being made by the district administration and police. They claim that the tourists are enjoying their trips with every arrangement made for their convenience.
The view of the local owners of hotels, restaurants and taxis challenges the ‘success’ claim. The biggest inconvenience to tourists was traffic jams and route diversions. They allege that in many places, tourist vehicles were diverted without adequate information, leaving them stranded for hours.
The president of the Nainital Hotels and Restaurants Association, Digvijay Singh Bisht echoed the view and added that some misleading videos and fake reels circulating on social media have also impacted Nainital’s tourism image. “Many videos present a different picture from the actual situation, leaving the foreign tourists confused, which has impacted hotel bookings and the tourism business. Furthermore, diversions and shuttle services play negative roles,” he added.
He further said that unlike in the past, no meeting was held between administration, police and the hotel association this year. “These meetings used to be convened to discuss traffic, parking and tourist amenities ahead of the commencement of the tourist season,” he stated.
However, the administration and police disagree completely with these allegations. Officials say that traffic management is difficult, given Nainital’s geographical location and limited parking capacity. “Thousands of vehicles arrive in the city during the tourist season, while available parking spaces are limited. This necessitates the implementation of diversion and shuttle services,” said the superintendent of police, Traffic, Nainital Police, Jagdish Chandra and added that no tourist is prevented from visiting Nainital. They also claimed that hotels, markets and major tourist destinations in the city are currently bustling with tourists, in contra-distinction to the tourism industry’s view.
