With maximum temperatures continuing to hover between 37 and 39 degree Celsius, the number of tourists flocking to popular destinations in the district has significantly declined.
While 1,000 to 1,200 tourists used to visit the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary on the banks of the Cauvery daily, the number has come down to 500-600 in the past several days. According to sources at the Department of Tourism, a similar development could be observed at other tourist destinations in the district.
Over 100 popular tourist destinations – including a few with historical significance, religious places and many picnic spots – are spread out across the district. Of them, Tipu memorials, Hoysala temples, Balamuri waterfalls, Gaganachukki waterfalls, Brindavan Gardens, Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir and Melkote see the most number of visitors.
Usually, Brindavan Gardens near KRS used to bustle with visitors every April, with the number of tourists reaching 10,000 a day. However, on an average, just 4,000 to 5,000 tourists are visiting the Brindavan Gardens since the third week of March, sources at the KRS said.
A similar trend was observed in Hemagiri, Shivanasamudra, Kerethonnur, Muthathi, Mahadevapura, Karighatta and other places. The Kokkre Bellur bird nesting site, historical temples at Kikkeri, Hosaholalu, Govindanahalli and other places too have failed to attract tourists this summer.
Soaring temperature
People prefer to stay inside their homes because of scorching sun, an officer at the Tourism Department, Srirangapatna, said.
There were instances where the maintenance staffers at some tourist sites were told to avoid taking weekly off days between March and May, he said.
“The rising temperatures might have been one of the reasons. The number is expected to increase in the coming weeks,” Harish, Assistant Director, Tourism (Mandya), told The Hindu.
Mandya usually receives around 2.5 crore tourists every year. It is said that the percentage of tourists visiting the district would fall by at least 20 per cent owing to the harsh summer this year.
