Mussourie:
Normally, the hill station of Mussoorie is abuzz with tourists this time of the year. However, more than a month after Uttarakhand was devastated by floods, the place wears a deserted look. The story repeats in many such popular tourist destinations in Uttarakhand, which was devastated by torrential rains last month.
Even though Mussoorie was left untouched by last month's floods, most hotels and restaurants in the region are empty. Even the off-season rates and heavy discounts being offered are doing little business. "Hotels in Mussoorie, Nainital and other hill-stations have seen drops in turns of tourist influx coming to the state. We hope that we can make up for our losses in the coming time," says Tushar Bist, Assistant sales Manager of The Savoy in Mussoorie.
With only a handful of tourists trickling into the hill station, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna appealed to people asking them to support the state by returning here. "If you want to help the State, the best way is to come here and have confidence and generate confidence amongst others...the infrastructure here is safe, there is no threat perception," he said.
The few who are visiting Mussoorie say they feel safe and secure. Amrinder Singh and his wife are here on their honeymoon. Mr Singh says, "People are very nice here, and we feel very comfortable."
While the rest of the state rebuilds itself, the businesses here are hopeful that in the coming months their cash registers will be ringing once again.