The Shimla district police are preparing for a substantial increase in tourist activity as Christmas and year-end celebrations approach. Projections indicate an influx of over one lakh tourist vehicles during the last week of December, coinciding with the festive season. The Mayor of Shimla City has devised the inaugural winter carnival, designed to attract visitors and showcase the traditions and culture of Himachal Pradesh.
Tourists have already started arriving in the hilly state, anticipating the charm of snowfall in the scenic locales as the year concludes. Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shimla, commented, "The police are expecting over one lakh tourist vehicles to roll into the hill town in the last week of this year," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
As the seasons transition in Shimla, the police anticipate various challenges. The number of vehicles in the city has surged, particularly on weekends. SP Gandhi outlined plans for facilitating tourists and stakeholders, with a strategic division of the city into five sectors, each assigned a dedicated rescue team to address the challenges posed by snow-covered roads in winter.
"There is a steady increase in tourist vehicles. There is a particular number of vehicles entering the city from the Shogi Barrier. There are usually about 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles rolling into the city every day. However, the count has now gone up to 12000 to 13000 ahead of the year-end festivities. We expect this number to rise further to 20,000 around Christmas and the New Year," SP Gandhi added, as reported by ANI.
To manage the anticipated surge, 10 platoons are set to be deployed, allowing for the activation of an additional 200 forces if needed. These personnel will be allocated for both traffic management and security.
The week-long winter carnival, commencing on Christmas Day, December 25, aims to revitalize tourism businesses in Shimla. The Shimla Municipal Corporation envisions a clean and green tourism message through this carnival, hoping to draw visitors and promote local culture.
Mayor Surinder Chauhan told ANI, "We are planning a winter carnival for the first time in Shimla. I have been conducting meetings with the stakeholders and officials over the past three days. We are ready to showcase our traditional folk dance forms and musical instruments. The chief minister will inaugurate the week-long winter carnival on December 25. We will also organise a traditional folk dance featuring 500 women".
Despite the disappointment of no snowfall yet, tourists are relishing the cold weather conditions in the city. Soutirtha Biswas from West Bengal shared, "There is a huge tourist rush. There's a biting cold but the weather gets more pleasant as the sun breaks through the clouds. We are enjoying ourselves here. Tourists can barely hold off an urge to visit Shimla around Christmas and New Year," ANI reported.
Ankit, a tourist from Bihar, told ANI about his satisfaction with the experience but voiced a desire for snowfall, stating, "I expected the weather to be this cold. I hoped to experience some snowfall as well around this time but there hasn't been any since I arrived. This is an ideal tourism destination in December".