Shimla, Aug 13 - Most hotels in various tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh are totally booked ahead of the three-day extended weekend that starts with the Janmasthami festival Aug 14.

'Most of our hotels will be packed to capacity. The response of tourists has been very encouraging,' said Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp managing director Subhashish Panda.

The corporation has 57 economy and high-end hotels across the state.

'This is a rare occasion when people, especially those from multinational companies, get an opportunity to take a break,' Panda told IANS.

Added D.P. Bhatia of Clarke's Hotel in Shimla: 'Besides the long weekend, the cool environs of the hills are also attracting tourists as it is still hot and humid in the plains.'

And to lure them further, many hotels have come up with promotional offers and discounts.

While the government hotels in Shimla, Manali and Dalhousie apart from a host of other locations are offering 10 to 30 percent discount, some private hotels are offering discounts up to 50 percent even on food and beverages.

Tek Chand Thakur, president of the Manali Hoteliers Association, said tourist arrival was picking up for the first time since a lull set in with the onset of the monsoon.