Monsoon fury in North: Hospitality sector stares at revenue wipeout

Unprecedented rainfall in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand has destroyed infrastructure and caused flooding and landslides in many areas in North India, primarily Jammu, adversely impacting residents and tourists.

- ROSHNI SHEKHAR & AKSHARA SRIVASTAVA

This has prompted state governments to issue advisories cautioning against travel to affected areas.

Hotel owners and hospitality executives said the industry was staring at a potential wipeout of the gains they were to make during the initial days of the festival season starting September, as prediction of heavy rainfall continuing for the coming days or weeks has prompted travellers to venture elsewhere.

"There is no connectivity in the city, especially in Old Manali. The Manali highway has also been severely damaged, impacting travel connectivity. In such a scenario, we have suspended bookings at the property for at least 15-20 days until roads can be mended," said Saurabh Bhandari, marketing manager at Nirvana Hamta Retreat in Sethan, Manali. Bhandari further said they expected to clock a revenue of just ₹1 lakh in September.

Rajiv Mehra, general secretary of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), said, "The travel sentiment was strong, keeping in mind the recent Independence Day long weekend, but monsoon is not the best time to visit states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand."