The advent of snowfall in Himachal has spelled springtime for the tourism industry in the Himalayan state, which was undergoing a prolonged slump of late.

29 December, 2012. Shimla. The recent snowfall in Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh have caused an exceptional tourist footfall to the Himalayan state this winter. Since it has been snowing for the past couple of months, tourist spots near Shimla, such as honeymooners’ paradise Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda experienced snowfall but the flakes melted within a few hours. The hills near Manali like Kothi and Marhi also have experienced snowfall, and tourists from all over the country flocked to the Solang valley in upper Himachal to enjoy the first spell of snowfall of this winter. Visitors were seen walking on the paths covered with snow in the backdrop of picturesque pine-clad slopes blanketed by the season's snow.

The travel, tourism and hotel industry in Himachal expect that the New Year celebrations would make up for the recent slump in tourism business. According to sources, most high-end hotels are already booked. In the meantime, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation (HPTDC) has already announced special packages for honeymooning couples visiting prominent destinations including Shimla, Manali, Kufri, Dharamshala and Chamba. In fact, many private hotels in Shimla and Manali have included special local delicacies including Himachali cuisines in their restaurant menus, besides enabling Live orchestra and dances to entertain the guests.