Tourism hit hard by monsoons in Uttarakhand

Dehra Dun, Oct 17 (PTI) The tourism sector in Uttarakhand which bore the brunt of the heavy rains during the monsoon, is yet to recover from the loss incurred during that period. S P Kochar, President of Uttarakhand Hotel Association, said that the rains had caused huge losses to the hotel industry in the state. The occupancy rate has fallen sharply from 80 per cent to 10-20 per cent in most of the hotels, he said. The Chardham yatra, the mainstay of Garhwal's economy, has also come to a halt due to heavy landslides in the region.Roads continue to remain blocked there. Hotels in Uttarakashi district, therefore, have been hit hard by the disruption of the yatra this season. "We are not getting any fresh booking," said a hotelier from Uttarkashi. The tourist rush has also been hit badly at hill resorts of Mussoorie and Nainital. The rafting circuit comprising nearly 109 companies, which operate between the 70-km stretch of Devprayag and Muni-Ki-Reti, has failed to take off mainly due to differences between the government and companies over licensing issue. Most of the trekking activities have also been affected especially due to avalanches in the higher reaches. The occupancy rate in the state-run tourist rest houses and forest rest houses has also come down drastically. Adding to the woes, the monsoon may delay the reopening of Corbett and Rajaji national parks this season as repair work will take a longer time than expected.