The number of tourists has decreased in Shimla following the tension
The Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla was in a very tense atmosphere yesterday due to the mosque dispute. Due to communal tension, people stopped going out of their homes. Hoteliers have also suffered due to communal tension. Communal tensions following protests over the mosque dispute have led to a drop in tourist numbers, businessmen said. Tourists are avoiding coming due to tension. Although the protests remained peaceful, tourism has been affected.
Hoteliers in Shimla said tourist numbers have been affected by communal tensions sparked by protests against unauthorized construction at mosques. Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholder Association President MK Seth said that usually 40-50 per cent of hotels were booked in September, but this year bookings have come down to only 10-20 per cent due to the current climate.
The number of tourists has decreased due to the mosque dispute
MK Seth said the protest was peaceful, but it has affected tourism. Tourists hesitate to come to Shimla to escape the stressful environment. He said that hotel bookings have reduced significantly this time compared to previous years. He said the situation could worsen if the situation worsens as tourists look to visit peaceful places.
MK Seth said that the tourism industry collapsed after the Covid pandemic and last year’s monsoon rains wreaked havoc, causing a huge loss to the tourism sector.
Why aren’t tourists coming?
On August 30, a dispute that started as a scuffle between a barber belonging to the minority community and another local trader turned into a communal issue in the Malayana area of Shimla. Where Hindu organizations demanded demolition of unauthorized mosques. Communal tension arose over the demand to demolish the mosque. Hindu organizations started protests at different places in the district. Seth said local residents are demanding identification and verification of outsiders coming to the state.
