Khada Danda road in poor shape, hoteliers flag tourism impact

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Hoteliers cite low occupancy, poor connectivity; urge priority repairs and permanent solution

Dharamshala, September 6

The poor condition of roads in the Dharamshala-McLeodganj area amid continuous heavy rainfall has raised concern among hotel and restaurant operators, who said inadequate connectivity is adversely affecting the tourism business.

Rahul Dhiman, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association Smart City Dharamshala-McLeodganj, said the tourism business had witnessed a significant decline during this year’s monsoon season.

Dhiman said the department and district administration had been informed several times about the condition of Khada Danda Road through memorandums, emails and messages. However, he alleged that apart from routine work, adequate efforts had not been made to improve the road. He further said the pace of work by contractors was extremely slow.

A stretch of road that had completely collapsed last year and disrupted traffic was restored, but the same spot was now again on the verge of collapsing, Dhiman added. Work on another section near Karmu Mor is also likely to take more time.

According to Dhiman, hotel occupancy in McLeodganj and Dharamshala is currently around 5 to 7 per cent on normal days and 15 to 20 per cent on weekends. He said tourists were also regularly asking hoteliers about road conditions amid continuous rainfall.

Dhiman also expressed concern over the condition of the main Dharamshala-McLeodganj road and criticised the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), saying roads important for tourism should be repaired on priority.

He said a large number of followers from India and abroad visit Dharamshala during the Dalai Lama’s stay, boosting tourism. Poor road conditions, he added, could send a negative message at the national and international levels.

Dhiman urged the administration and departments concerned to ensure permanent maintenance of roads in the Dharamshala-McLeodganj tourism circuit.