The number of tourists in Auli near Joshimath has increased in view of Christmas and the coming New Year’s Eve. With good snowfall also adding to the attraction for tourists, the local traders are enthusiastic with the weather and festive season boosting tourist numbers.
The first snowfall of the winter was experienced about a month earlier in December itself at Auli covering the area in a blanket of white. With about four feet snow falling in Auli, the number of tourists arriving here to enjoy the beauty of the snow-clad Himalayas and winter sports has increased markedly. However, some problems were experienced during the trial of the Auli ropeway disappointing the tourists.
In addition to the snow, the Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations have also caused a rise in tourist numbers in Auli which has boosted the business of local traders. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam tourist rest house and privately owned hotels in the area are presently running fully occupied with tourists thronging to enjoy a snowy winter. The Joshimath-Auli road is also open to traffic which is facilitating the flow of tourists though the failure of the authorities to facilitate the operation of the Joshimath-Auli ropeway is causing much disappointment to visitors.
On Thursday, tourists enjoyed their time in the snow skiing and indulging in other activities though cloudy skies later in the day caused a drop in the temperature. The local business owners are expecting that if the weather remains clear in the coming days, the tourist activities would continue at Auli during New Year’s eve celebrations.