Tourists flock to hilly resorts to celebrate New Year

DHARAMSHALA/ NAINITAL - Tourists from all across the country are flocking to hilly resorts of Dharamshala and Nainital in the hope of celebrating the New Year in pristine snow.

Dharamsala is witnessing the arrival of a large number of tourists ahead of the New Year.

Gurleen Kaur, a tourist from Punjab, said she hoped there would be good snowfall on New Year’s Eve.

“We have planned New Year celebrations here. We expect more snow so that we can have sort of winter landscape here, proper winter landscape to enjoy completely,” said Kaur.

The travel agents here said it usually snows heavily ahead of New Year, and so large number of tourists visit here every year.

“Tourists visit here, expecting snowfall. But this time its very late and maybe we hope that they will get the snowfall tomorrow. So, we are not sure, only God knows,” said Chodak, a travel agent.

Meanwhile, scores of young tourists were spotted in Nainital.

Pinaaz, a tourist from New Delhi, said New Year Eve celebrations in Nainital are something special.

“The celebration of New Year’s Eve by youths in Nainital is extraordinary and very different from any other place. We can enjoy so many things here like boating and site seeing etc. Moreover the environment is really nice here,” said Pinaaz.

Most of the hotels have chalked out special programmes to ring out the old year.

“Like previous years, this year also we have organised good decoration lightings and music for the tourists to make their celebration more blissful,” said Rajesh Shah, the Nainital Hotel Association general secretary.

“We want the tourists who visit here must enjoy the New Years Eve and go back with a collection of good memories,” he added. (ANI)