Rising Pollution in Plains Drives Tourists to Shimla; Hotel Occupancy Reaches 50%
Rising air pollution in Delhi and several other plains cities is prompting tourists to head towards the hills in search of cleaner air, giving a boost to tourism in Shimla. Hotel occupancy in the Himachal Pradesh capital has reached 40–50%, marking an increase of around 20 percentage points over the past week, according to hotel industry representatives. On Tuesday, a large number of tourists arrived in Shimla, keeping popular locations such as Mall Road, the Ridge and nearby tourist attractions busy.
Delhi AQI Crosses 300, Tourists Prefer Shimla
The influx comes amid deteriorating air quality in several plains cities. The source report states that Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) has crossed 300, while several other cities, including Gurugram and Kanpur, are also experiencing poor air quality. In comparison, Shimla recorded an AQI of 66 on Diwali, according to the figures cited in the report. Tourists from Delhi are among those visiting the hill station. Visitors Ramesh and Monika said they travelled to Shimla after Diwali as smoke and pollution had increased in their city.
Hotels Report 50% Occupancy
Hotel businesses have welcomed the increase in tourist arrivals. Hotelier Association vice-president Prince Kukreja said tourist movement had increased after Diwali, with hotels recording occupancy of up to 50% over the past two days. He added that bookings had also been made for the coming days. Tourists from Gujarat and West Bengal are also arriving in Shimla due to holidays in these states.
Traffic Jams Disrupt Movement on Circular Road
The increase in tourist vehicles, combined with ongoing construction work, has affected traffic movement in Shimla.On Tuesday, vehicles remained stuck in slow-moving traffic on Circular Road throughout the day, particularly near the Lift area. The congestion extended up to Bemloi, causing difficulties for commuters travelling between Chhota Shimla and the Old Bus Stand. The ongoing bridge construction near the Lift has narrowed the road further. According to the report, motorists took around 30 minutes to travel from Bemloi to the Old Bus Stand during the congestion. Hotel operators expect tourist arrivals to increase further if pollution levels in the plains remain high.