Manali tourist records video of alleged 'snow scam' by guides, sparks discussion
A video reveals tourists in Manali being scammed with a tiny artificial snow patch for skiing. The incident has sparked debate over tourist awareness and local guide practices.
www.indiatoday.in
A Manali tourist recorded a video of people being scammed with a tiny artificial snow patch for skiing, which led to heavy discussions amongst social media users.
A tourist in Manali has alleged that local guides in the Himachal Pradesh town have been scamming tourists by encouraging them to ski on a tiny, artificially gathered patch of snow despite there being no natural snowfall in the surrounding area.
Atul Chauhan posted the video on Instagram with the caption “Scam,” while the clip itself showed visuals of tourists attempting to ski on bare-minimum snow spread over the ground.
Behind the camera, Chauhan can be heard saying, “I’m in Manali, and look how these people have scammed tourists like us. They have simply thrown around a handful of snow, there’s no snow around us except this one small patch.”
As he speaks, Chauhan pans the camera left and right to show the surrounding landscape, revealing dry ground, rocks, and almost no snow beyond the small area where tourists are gathered. The video also shows how the so-called skiing spot appears to be limited to just a narrow stretch, with the rest of the area clearly lacking any snowfall.
The video received mixed reactions online, as while some users agreed with Chauhan and accused local operators of misleading tourists, others pointed out that the issue stemmed from a lack of awareness about seasonal conditions.
Several users observed that Manali did not receive snowfall year-round and blamed tourists for visiting without proper research.
One user quipped, “I have more snow in my fridge than this,” while another wrote, “You chose to pay them and do it, brother. Don’t you know if it’s snowfall time or not?”
The debate continued in the comments, with viewers split between calling it a scam and calling it a lesson in planning trips according to the season.
- Vlog #22