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Nainital: Nainital, one of Uttarakhand’s most popular tourist destinations, is facing a new challenge. Social media reels, once used to promote the city’s beauty, are now spreading negative and misleading content. These viral videos show traffic jams, parking chaos, and exaggerated crowd scenes, creating fear among potential visitors.
Hotel owners say that even during peak seasons like New Year’s Eve, weekends, and holidays, tourist arrivals have been far lower than expected. Many tourists cancelled their pre‑bookings after watching these reels, assuming that visiting Nainital would be difficult and unpleasant.
Content creators do it due to the more views
Local hoteliers believe that some content creators deliberately make negative reels because they attract more likes and shares. Minor disturbances are presented as if the entire city is in crisis. In some cases, old videos or clips from other cities are falsely shown as Nainital.
This trend has created confusion among tourists and damaged the reputation of the city. The Nainital Hotel Association has expressed serious concern, saying that misleading reels are harming not only Nainital but also other hill stations like Shimla, Manali, and Mussoorie.
Voices from the hotel association
Digvijay Singh Bisht, President of the Nainital Hotel Association, said several complaints have already been filed. He explained that during New Year’s Eve, reels showed Nainital as overcrowded with traffic jams everywhere. In reality, the situation was manageable.
Despite this, many tourists postponed their plans, causing direct losses to hotels, taxis, guides, shopkeepers, and other businesses. Bisht stressed that fake reels are becoming a serious threat to Uttarakhand’s tourism economy.
Impact on local businesses
Tourism is the backbone of Nainital’s economy. When visitors cancel trips, the impact is felt across the city. Hotels remain empty, taxi drivers lose customers, guides have fewer bookings, and shopkeepers see reduced sales.
Local businesses say that the damage caused by fake reels is worse than temporary weather disruptions. While snowfall or rain may affect tourism for a few days, misleading content on social media creates a long‑lasting negative image.
People are urging the government and administration to take strict action
Tourism businesses are urging the government and administration to take strict action against those who create fake and misleading reels. They believe a concrete policy is needed to protect tourist destinations from false publicity.
At the same time, hoteliers suggest that positive and accurate information should be promoted through social media. If used responsibly, these platforms can be a boon for tourism. But if left unchecked, fake reels could become a curse, reducing tourist confidence and damaging Uttarakhand’s image.
