Since the start of November, when the e-pass system requiring prior permission from the district administration to enter the Nilgiris was scrapped, the number of tourists has steadily increased, especially over the last ten days, officials said.
Based on the tourist numbers visiting government parks and gardens since the beginning of November, the average number of tourists has more than doubled. During the weekends, more than 5000 visitors visited all the parks and gardens in the district for the last two weeks. Since the e-pass system was scrapped, e-registration has become mandatory for visitors to the district.
Joint Director of Horticulture (Nilgiris district), Sivasubramaniam Samraj, said that prior to the relaxations, around 300-400 people were visiting the Government Botanical Garden on an average each day. However, he said the number increased to around 600 during weekdays.
Expecting an increase in the number of tourists during the course of the Deepavali weekend, many street-vendors who had closed their makeshift shops since March have started re-opening. One street hawker who sells toys along the Garden Road in Udhagamandalam said she planned to open her shop this week to take advantage of the increasing number of tourists.
Despite more tourists being seen in Udhagamandalam and Coonoor, the hospitality sector still seems to be showing very few signs of recovery, said N. Chandrashekar, honorary secretary of the Nilgiris Hotels and Restaurants Association (NHRA). “Most budget and mid-range hotels are still completely empty. This could be due to tourists comprising mostly people who spend only a day in the district, and leave by evening,” he said. Around 20 % of hotels and restaurants in the Nilgiris face the prospect of permanent closure unless there is a swift upturn in fortunes.
“We would like to appeal to visitors to stay in the Nilgiris and patronise local businesses, because as things stand, most hotel and restaurant owners are even struggling to cover the cost of maintenance of their properties,” he said.
Published - November 10, 2020 05:38 am IST
