On Tourism day Tourism stakeholders woo tourists with discount vouchers, sweets, flowers to promote Mysuru tourism

Mysuru, September 28: While tourists to heritage city Mysuru who had dropped by 95 percent due to covid 19 pandemic situation are slowly picking up after lockdown relaxations, on world tourism day, with a month ahead for Dasara, tourism stake holders from Mysuru took up several promotional measures to woo tourists on Sunday.

On the occasion, stakeholders of Mysuru Hotel owners association(MHOA), led by MHOA president Mr C Narayangowda handed over coupons or gift vouchers with offer of 50 percent discount either on food or stay or both with validity for one month to two months upto 30 November to tourists at Mysuru Zoo and Mysuru palace premises. As many as 122 such coupons/ vouchers of 17 major hotels of Mysuru including The Quorum, Le Ruchi the prince, Suvarna hotels group and others were handed over to tourists. "These are transferable coupons, they can either use them for themselves or hand over to any one they wish," Mr Narayangowda said.

Also stakeholders of Mysuru travel agents association led by Mr C A Jayakumar and Mr B S Prashanth dressed up traditionally with silk dothi and silk shirt, welcomed tourists at Mysuru Palace premises with sweets and roses amid the tunes of percussion instruments (nada swara), with a take home message that "Tourism sector is open and safe with all precautionary measures".

Mysuru hotel owners association head Mr C Narayangowda said that while they had over 5 percent occupancy in hotels in Mysuru from June this year, after lockdown relaxations, now currently as on this week end occupancy has picked to 15 percent. So tourists to Mysuru are picking up slowly, he said.

There are 405 hotels and lodges with 9500 rooms in Mysuru which employ atleast 25,000 people. And only 75 percent of them are open after lockdown relaxations since June.

70 percent of the people in Mysuru depend on tourism in one way or the other. And in the past six months due to lockdown and covid 19 pandemic situation, hotels and lodges in Mysuru alone have suffered a loss of atleast Rs 150 Crore. The travel industry in Mysuru alone has suffered a loss of atleast 40 Crores in the past six months.