Shimla/Manali, December 31
Defying Covid-19 protocols amidst the scare of the new Omicron variant, crowds of holidaymakers have descended onto Himachal Pradesh’s popular tourist resorts Shimla, Narkanda, Dharamsala, Kalpa, Manali, Dalhousie and elsewhere, the highest-ever arrival of tourists in the history, to ring in the New Year with carnivals and musicals amidst a snowy landscape.
After a day of snowfall in Manali, Kalpa and other destinations on higher reaches, turning them more picturesque, the Met Office in Shimla on Saturday predicted the sun will shine across the state till January 5, 2023.
But the prevailing minimum temperature in most of the places will stay close to sub-zero with chances of dense fog in low hills.
Members of the hospitality industry told IANS that most of the hotels across the state have been seeing close to 95 per cent occupancy.
