Shimla, May 9 -- With pleasant weather, low temperatures and intermittent rain providing relief from the scorching heat in the plains, tourist inflow to the hill stations of Himachal Pradesh, especially Shimla, has started picking up sharply during weekends, bringing cheer to the tourism industry ahead of the summer season.

Heavy vehicular movement and traffic congestion were witnessed in Shimla over the weekend as tourists continued to arrive in large numbers.

Hotel occupancy in the region has reportedly touched 90 per cent during weekends, while several hotels are expecting full occupancy in the coming weeks as summer vacations begin across northern states.

People associated with the tourism industry said bookings are increasing stea...