Summary:
After the decision to waive the RT-PCR protocol for the tourists in Shimla, it saw a massive line of tourists and cars trying to enter the city.
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After the decision to waive the RT-PCR protocol for the tourists in Shimla, it saw a massive line of tourists and cars trying to enter the city.
Within a few hours of the opening of the borders, long serpentine queues of vehicles could be witnessed at the entry points.
This weekend, prior to the opening of the border, over 5,000 vehicles are learned to have entered Shimla within hours from the Shogi barrier.
A heavy rush of tourists was witnessed on the Ridge and The Mall Road in Shimla.
The police also slapped challans on a few violators.
Urging the tourists to strictly follow the Covid SOPs, Shimla Superintendent of Police Mohit Chawla said they had challenged some people on The Mall Road.
He warned of eight-day jail in case of repeated violations.
The occupancy on this weekend touched 30 percent which is further expected to go up to 60 percent in the coming week.
About 25 percent of bookings have been done in while 25 percent of tourists are walk-in, says President of Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association Sanjay Sood.
He said people in the plains were rushing to the hills of Himachal to get relief from sultry heat.
“We have appealed to the hotel owners to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) like wearing of masks, proper sanitization and avoid overcrowding so that tourists feel safe and comfortable,” said President, Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association MK Seth.
The tourism industry, which suffered heavy losses in the peak summer season in 2020 and 2021 is hopeful that with relaxation on restrictions, the industry would be able to cover up the losses to some extent.
Prior to June 14, the state government had allowed the entry of only those tourists who had a prior booking at a hotel or homestay and carried a Covid negative report from an ICMR-accredited laboratory.
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