Tourist destinations in Salem district see good footfall

‘All COVID-19 safety protocols were followed’

Forest personnel checking the bags of visitors at the Kurumbapatti Zoological Park in Salem on Saturday.

Following the relaxations in COVID-19 restrictions by the State government, the tourist destinations in the district, including Yercaud, saw a good footfall on Saturday.

While the Yercaud boathouse resumed operations on Monday, the parks under the Horticulture Department in the hill station, the eco-tourism spots and Kurumbapatti zoological park resumed operations on Wednesday. The number of visitors to these spots has been gradually increasing.

The Annavari Muttal waterfalls near Attur was visited by over 200 people on Friday.

Forest officials said that all COVID-19 safety protocols were followed and the public were permitted to bathe in the falls.

The Forest Department has also improved amenities at the eco-tourism site and boating has been permitted at the lake, with strict instructions to follow safety procedures.

Kalpanna Sivaraj, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu Tour Travel and Hospitality Association, said that tourism activities were slowly reviving to the pre-COVID-19 period in Yercaud and the hotel business was seeing a slow revival. She said that with more tourists coming to the hill station, almost all the rooms in the hotels were booked.

According to Horticulture Department officials, about 3,200 people visited the parks in the district on Saturday, yielding a total collection of ₹45,000.