Over Tourism in Manali: Reality or Myth?
Over - Tourism occurs when there is an exponential burst of visitors at a particular destination. Now "Exponential" is a subjective term, but it is highlighted in each destination by local residents, hosts, business owners and tourists.
Blog by Imtiaz Ullah @NomadLawyer
A fine example of over-tourism is when the rent prices push out local tenants to make way for holiday rentals, that is overtourism. When narrow roads become jammed with tourist vehicles, that is overtourism. When wildlife is scared away, when tourists can not view landmarks because of the crowds, when fragile environments become degraded - these are all signs of over - tourism.
When there is an impact on the climate, a place that receives normal snowfall may not receive snowfall at all. Adverese floods in the coastal areas may result from global warming which is deeply concerning. Over-tourism also plays a part in global warming.
Is the beautiful destination of Manali, a victim of Over-tourism?
This is a very easy question, no prize for guessing. Some sights that are common in Manali during high season - prolonged traffic snarls, choked highways overflowing parking places and packed hotels. The worst effected is the ecologically fragile Rohtang pass, with crowds becoming totally unmanageable, and sometimes unruly too. Over-tourism goes against the principles of a sustainable tourist economy.
Considering the grave impact of this beautiful tourist destination, the NGT has now ordered that not more than 1200 vehicles, 800 of these petrol and 400 diesel, will be permitted per day. To ensure this, all tourist vehicles headed for Rohtang Pass need a valid permit that can be availed online. But the question remains, is it helping?
Over-tourism is causing ecological damage to Manali. The damage caused by such large hordes of tourists can have a severe impact on the fragile mountain ecology. Clearing the huge garbage, disposable food packets, plastic bottles, cups and other food waste dumped by tourists is a daunting issue. High vehicle emissions not only raise the temperature but also causes faster melting of snow. It also blacken the surface of the snow and glaciers of the region.
One alternative that may be helpful - start exploring the less travelled places near Manali rather then travelling only to Manali which is making this place vulnerable and making it a victim of over-tourism. Exploring other places may distribute the ratio of travellers evenly.