The tourism sector in Mysuru is witnessing a slow but steady increase in visitors’ footfall after remaining sluggish for a few months during the initial stages of graded unlocking.
The pandemic and the consequent lockdown starting March 25 had resulted in a virtual closure of the sector as people were confined to their homes while the migrant workers headed back to their respective native places due to job loss.
But as per the Palace Board records, 78,615 tourists visited the monument in the month of November as against 45,886 visitors in October. During September the palace attracted 30,425 visitors and in August, 10537. In the pre-COVID times the peak tourism season was from October through January with a decline in February and March before picking up again during summer.
The hospitality sector in Mysuru, which is dependent on tourism for it survival, has averred that the business turnover has picked up and they were achieving 40 per cent of the earleri transaction on a regular basis since the last one month.
Narayana Gowda, president of Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association, said that the sector was optimistic of returning to pre-COVID level of turnover and normalcy by April 2021.
“We have another 5 months to go to reach the milestone but there are already signs of recovery as most hotels and restaurants report turnover in the range of 40 per cent.”
Mr. Gowda said there are nearly 8,500 hotel rooms catering to various category of tourists – budget to luxury – and a 95 per cent occupancy from the first week of December to first week of January was common in the pre-COVID times with 100 per cent occupancy of hotels between December 24 and January 2. “But this year we will be happy if it breaches the 50 per cent occupancy level given the present trend.’
However, the recovery also hinges on the resumption of mass transportation – mainly inter-State rail services. Bulk of the tourists visiting Mysuru at present are people from within Karnataka and there are not many from the rest of the country. Though there are a few long-distance trains in operation as also a few inter-State buses that are plying, the occupancy rates are not high.
Officials in the tourism sector aver that it will take some more time for tourists from other States to return and until then intra-State tourism has to be encouraged.
