Amid the ongoing holiday season, a fresh spell of heavy snowfall has made Himachal Pradesh’s Manali a perfect spot for tourists to enjoy Christmas and New Year. As a huge number of tourists thronged the popular winter destination, hundreds of vehicles were stuck in long traffic jams en route to Manali.
Visuals from the area showed police personnel assisting travellers and drivers in navigating their vehicles as snowfall continued. The police have helped around 700 tourists move to safe places, reported ANI.
Long traffic jam in Manali amid heavy snowfall | Video
Several tourists who were stranded in Manali due to long traffic jams and snowfall shared videos on social media.
Rise in tourist influx amid Christmas, New Year celebration
The situation in Manali has been aggravated due to a sudden surge in the influx of tourists arriving in the city for Christmas and New Year celebrations. The situation remains the same in other popular tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh, including Shimla.
Shimla received its first snowfall on December 8; since then, the city has witnessed a sudden rise in tourist arrivals. After the season’s first snowfall, Shimla and Manali have received continuous snowfall, which has turned them into a winter wonderland for tourists.
Frequent snowfall in these tourist destinations has delighted visitors and brought cheers among local tourism industry players, who are still struggling to recover from the losses inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourists, captivated by the beauty of the snow-clad hills, are extending their stay, making this a season of cheer and celebration. This unexpected snowfall has infused excitement among those dreaming of a “White Christmas.” Many tourists, initially planning to leave, have decided to stay back, soaking in the wintry charm of Shimla.
Amid the rise in tourist influx, local businessmen and shopkeepers are hopeful that the snowfall may extend the tourist season and allow them to make the most of it.
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Becki Paris