Stakeholders of the tourism industry in Mysuru have suggested that some percentage of seats for this year’s Jamboo Savari, confined to the palace premises as part of a low-key Dasaara, should be set aside for tourists and tour and travel operators despite the pandemic situation as a measure for reviving tourism.
“Instead of confining the finale for politicians, their followers and the officers, tourists and the people who drive the country’s travel industry must get a chance to get close to the event as they can help promote tourism which has been badly hit owing to the pandemic,”said B.S. Prashanth, President, Federation of Organisations and Associations of Mysuru.
Mr. Prashanth, who is also the President of Karnataka Tourism Forum, said the KTF representatives in Bengaluru are expected to submit a memorandum in this regard to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the stakeholders in Mysuru will take up the matter with Minister incharge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar as the festivities are fast approaching and preparations in this regard have to start immediately.
Last year, around 200 seats were arranged inside the palace premises for Jamboo Savari as there was a bar on assembling more people. This year, the number of seats can be increased to 1,000 and tourists and travel industry people from across the country can be invited to the event. “We have to live with the pandemic. This is the time to promote Mysuru and its tourism as the people dependent on it have been badly hit since the last two years. Instead of catering to the wealthy and influential, those who are behind promoting tourism need to get some priority,” he argued.
He urged the MLAs of the district to broach the topic with Mr. Somashekar.
The loss suffered by the industry due to low-key Dasara last year can be compensated this year if more tourists arrive here to watch the spectacle provided they get a chance to watch the finale at the palace, the Federation said in a release here.
