Hotel occupancy surge in Shimla, Manali; record 28,210 vehicle cross Atal Tunnel in one day
Shimla: The craze to visit Atal Tunnel propelled hotel occupancy in key hill resorts of Shimla, Manali to 90 per cent, as a record 28,210 vehicles crossed the Atal Tunnel on a single day on Sunday (December 24).
After snowfall at Atal tunnel on Saturday, tourists made beeline to the tunnel and a record number of 28,210 vehicles crossed Atal Tunnel on Sunday, according to Lahaul and Spiti police on Monday.
The hoteliers are upbeat as the local MeT office has predicted rain in mid hills and rain and snow in higher hills on December 30 and 31.
The occupancy is around 90 per cent and the Manali Carnival from January 1 to 6, which would showcase local culture and cuisines, would boost tourist arrival in the year-end, said President of Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA) Gajender Thakur.
''We welcome the tourists, who have come to the State in lakhs,'' said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, adding that Himachal has stood up again after the disaster to welcome the tourists.
He also praised the efforts of district administration and the Police jawans for efficiently managing the huge tourist rush and extending helping hand to few struck up in snow particularly at North and South Portal of Rohtang Tunnel at minus 12 degree C.
Kullu district was one of worst disaster hit districts of the state during the monsoon fury but it has bounced back, kindling the hopes for revival of the tourism industry which mainstay of the people in the region.
The hotel occupancy in hill resort of Shimla rose to around 90 per cent during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), but it dropped to 60 per cent and Monday being a working day, people started returning, Vice President of Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association Prince Kukreja told PTI.
Even though a white Christmas eluded Shimla city, Carnivals added to the shine of Christmas-New Year festivities in the capital city and with MeT predicting rain and snow on December 30 and 31, the occupancy is expected to be 100 per cent, president of the association M K Seth told PTI.
Carnivals from Christmas to New Year in state capital Shimla have added to the vigor of festivities. Sufiana recitals, Quawalis, performances by musical groups and plays are other attractions.
Group selfies at Historic Ridge Church were in vogue. However, traffic chaos prevailed in the capital city as thousands of vehicles were in the city and traffic congestion was visible at several places.
As many as 55,345 vehicles arrived in Shimla in the past 72 hours, said Shimla Police in a Facebook Post on Monday evening. Elaborate arrangements have been made and traffic police are on the job, the police said.
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism development Corporation (HPTDC) has also offered special packages for New Year celebrations in its resorts for Gala Nights, Dine 'N' Dance, DJ with live music, dance competitions and fun activities for children, said Managing Director HPTDC Amit Kashyap.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
