Shimla's horse owners facing economic hardships due to lack of tourists amid pandemic

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 11 : The business of horse owners in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla has been badly hit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while they still hope for the tourists to arrive after recent snowfall in the region.
"This year has been really tough for all of us due to the pandemic. We are not having a good business as locals and tourists are not coming here. Very few people can be seen here, one horse owner is earning nearly Rs 300 to Rs 400. However, over Rs 500 is required to feed one horse here," said a local horseman Mushtaq.
"We were expecting good business during snowfall but the COVID-19 has played spoilsport," he added.
For over eight months now horse owners here have been jobless. The tourists have not entered the state during the peak tourist season this year and now the COVID-19 pandemic graph in the state and the capital city have started rising with rapid speed.
The tourism sector, which is a major source of employment, has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many people like the horse owners or 'Ghodewalas' of Shimla struggling to survive.
In the usual peak season, hundreds of people used to come to for a horse ride daily here in the beautiful historic town. Horse owners are disappointed as they neither have any business nor any job for the future amid the pandemic.
"This year we are expecting a good snowfall and we hope our business starts on a good note again," said Sher Deen another horseman.