Tourists thrilled as fresh snowfall blankets Shimla; travel industry sees revival

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 28 (ANI): Following fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, tourist activity has picked up across several popular destinations, bringing cheer to visitors and renewed hope to the local travel industry. Areas such as Jakhoo, Kufri, Narkanda and upper Shimla witnessed fresh snow, delighting tourists arriving in the state capital.
Tourists visiting Shimla were seen enjoying the picturesque views created by the fresh snowfall, describing the experience as memorable despite minor travel difficulties.
Pulkit, a tourist from Delhi, speaking to ANI, said that he and his friends were enjoying the snowy weather.
"We have come here from Delhi for a holiday. Yesterday also we enjoyed snowfall and last night it snowed again. Movement is a little difficult, but everything else is good. Yesterday we went to Kufri and the weather and snowfall there were excellent. We really enjoyed it," he said.
Another tourist from Delhi, Monika, also shared her excitement over the snowfall while speaking to ANI.
"We were staying in a hotel in Shimla and it snowed at night. We really enjoyed it. We also went to Kufri, where there was heavy snowfall and we had a great time. There are some minor issues, but nothing major. We are really enjoying ourselves here," she said.
Meanwhile, people in the tourism sector have termed the snowfall as 'white gold', stating that it had arrived after a prolonged dry spell that had adversely affected business. With fresh snow, hotel bookings and tourist inflow have begun to increase.
Naren Shahi, a local travel agent from Shimla, told ANI that the snowfall has provided a much-needed boost to the tourism industry.
"There was a long dry spell, and because of that our tourism business was going through a slowdown. This fresh snowfall has given a boost. It has worked like a lifeline for the tourism industry. As western disturbances are expected to remain active and there is hope for more snowfall in the coming days, it will greatly benefit tourism," he said.
He further added that multiple stakeholders are benefiting from the renewed tourist activity.
"Hotels, travel agents, porters, horse operators, photographers and taxi drivers are all getting work. After this fresh snowfall, we are hoping for another spell as well. We appeal to tourists to visit in large numbers so that the tourism season lasts longer," Shahi said.
With weather conditions turning favourable and expectations of more snowfall ahead, the tourism industry in Shimla is optimistic about an extended and profitable winter season.(ANI)