Sun Tourism is fast catching up in Himachal Pradesh as one gets to see more balmy days in the winters here, when compared to the northern plains where the weather remains foggy most of the time. However, climate scientists are worried about this.

Of course, those related with the hospitality industry are not complaining, as they are getting more demands from many holidaymakers to get rooms with sun rise in the balcony, especially during the winters. Also, the gorgeous views of snow clad peaks are an added attraction.

If you ask the old-timers, they opine that winters in Shimla and its nearby areas are no longer as harsh as it was till the late 1970s. This has left residents worried too, most of them wondering if the rise in minimum temperatures in recent years during winters is a result of global warming, although scientists are of the view that the overall warming trend should not have any effect on local weather on such short-time scales as per current models.

Revealing more about the current trend of tourism, a hotelier added that now most of the visitors prefer not just snow but also the sun.

If reports are to go by, Gulaba, situated around 20 km from Manali, is currently under a thick blanket of snow, and tons of visitors are coming every day to enjoy skiing, snow scooter rides, and other activities.

Further, if reports of Shimla’s meteorological office are to go by, popular tourist destinations including Kasauli, Shimla, Dharamshala, Narkanda, Palampur, Manali, Chamba and Dalhousie have been experiencing sunny days for the past few days.

Those related to the tourism industry also add that they are now trying to attract more tourists by saying that if they want to escape the dense fog and cold in the plains, move to the hills and bask in the mellow sunshine. It is warm and sunny here.

The local administration, before the onset of winter every year, used to organise a meeting to review measures and assign duties to handle situations of emergency in case of heavy snow. Officials in the know-how admit that for the past several decades, this meeting has become just a mere ritual. This change in climate is alarming for the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, where the state’s economy is highly dependent on tourism.