94 percent decline in tourists to Mysuru Palace

Mysuru: Tourist footfall in Mysuru picked by five to 10 percent during the 10-day Dasara extravaganza compared to post lockdown period from June 8 to October 17. This year due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, visitors to Mysuru Zoo and Mysuru Palace declined by 88 percent and 94 percent respectively during the 10-day Dasara programmes this time.

According to zoo executive director Ajit Kulkarni, only 20,217 people visited the zoo from October 18 to October 26. The zoo saw the highest number of visitors (7,264) on Vijayadashami for the first time after lockdown restrictions were lifted and the tourism destinations were permitted to open on 8 June.

During the10-day Dasara jamboree in 2019 the zoo had 1,65,705 visitors, 1,53,000 in 2018, 1,23,000 in 2017, 1,24,000 in 2016.

During the first nine-days of Dasara this year, there were only 7,596 visitors to the Mysuru Palace including 12 foreigners. During the same period last year, there were 1,20,781 visitors including 696 foreigners.

Mysuru hotel owners association president C Narayangowda, "The occupancy of hotel rooms in Mysuru picked up only by 5-10 percent during the festival this year though the city was illuminated and tourism destinations were open.

The occupancy of hotel rooms was just 10 percent in June and it rose to 30 percent in September, after the lockdown restrictions were lifted and the hotels and tourism destinations in Mysuru were permitted to open from June 8. The occupancy of hotel rooms had dropped to less than 10 percent on October 15 and October 16 after the district administration announced closure of tourism destinations. After the ban to close tourism destinations was lifted, occupancy rate picked up."