Yelagiri Hills has emerged a weekend getaway for tourists from Chennai and Bengaluru. The number of tourists visiting the hill, especially during weekends, is on the rise.
Though the number of places for sightseeing is less, the hill continues to draw tourists during weekends and holidays.
According to official data, around 12,20,000 tourists visited Yelagiri during the period starting June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017. This June, 40,000 tourists visited the hills followed by 38,000 in July. However, the number of tourists soared this month with nearly 86,000 persons visiting the hills from August 1 to 14.
“In fact, on Sunday (August 13) there were more than 60,000 tourists at Yelagiri. Rooms in all hotels were booked, and some had to return due to non-availability of accommodation. The number was more as it was a long weekend with Monday and Tuesday being holidays,” an officer said.
For a place that started off as a favourite destination for residents from places within the district such as Vaniyambadi, Yelagiri has come a long way. Its popularity soared after paragliding was introduced a few years ago.
“There is an annual increase of 15% in the number of tourists coming to the hill. Apart from tourists from Chennai and Bengaluru, we are also seeing visitors from districts such as Erode and Coimbatore. Tourists feel the climate at Yelagiri is conducive and come here for relaxation,” he added.
Usually, tourists start arriving on Friday afternoon. “By Friday night, the hill registers 25% tourist inflow, while this reaches 75% by Saturday afternoon,” he said.
More hotels coming up
Officials also point out that there are more than 60 hotels at Yelagiri, and more are coming up to meet the demands of the growing number of tourists.
Nevertheless, tourists need more places to visit in Yelagiri. At present, they have only Boat House and Nature Park to visit. A number of recreational facilities such as the open air theatre near the Yelagiri police station and boat house at Nilavoor are in dire need of maintenance, residents say.
The proposed Botanical Garden is yet to see light of the day.
“When tourists ask us where they can visit in the evening, we tell them there is a musical fountain from 7 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. at Nature Park. There is no other place to go. The open air theatre can be renovated and entertainment programmes can be held there,” a resident said.
Tourism facilitators also pointed out that the Boat House witnesses huge inflow of tourists.
“Instead of following a token system, people are made to wait in queue. As a result, there is a serpentine queue and tourists are put to hardship,” he said.
He added that more tourists would visit Yelagiri if the existing facilities were spruced up.
