Mysuru Palace
Credit: DH File Photo
Mysuru: Mysuru Palace has recorded 39,35,108 visitors in the financial year-April 2024 to March 2025 and it is the second highest in the past one decade.
Despite the entry fee hike from Rs 100 to Rs 1000 from November 2024, the number of foreigners to Palace has improved to 44,788; and it is the highest in the past four years from 2020-2021 after Covid pandemic.
During the last financial year, April 2023-March 2024, there were 40,56,975 visitors including 34604 foreigners, which were highest in the past one decade.
New plans
Mysuru Palace Board Deputy Director T S Subramanya said that they are mooting new plans to improve the foreign visitors footfall further, including improvised high-tech sound and light show by Dasara. They also plan to introduce separate counters for foreigners, senior citizens and differently abled in a week's time. There are plans to host evening cultural programmes in front of the illuminated Palace on Sundays and general holidays as they are currently restricted to Dasara, Yearend, Yugadi, he said.
He added that they are contemplating to offer special guided Palace tour packages, including Chakravarthi, Maharaja, Maharani, Yuvaraja, Yuvarani packages with traditional welcome by folk artists. Measures are also being taken to improve digital promotion at international platforms utilising social media platforms. There are plans to improve visitation to eight temples with historical significance and rich architectural marvel at Palace premises, Subramanya said.
Improved amenities
Subramanya informed that there are several factors which have improved foreigners inflow gradually after Covid Pandemic. The Palace has introduced online ticketing and scanners to buy tickets, which helped in avoiding long queues.
The number of guides are increased from 12 to 18. Besides sound and light show every evening from 7pm to 8pm in Kannada from Monday to Wednesday, and in English from Thursday to Saturday, there are two shows, including one each in Kannada and English on Saturday. Besides illumination from 7pm to 8pm on Sunday and general holidays, Palace is illuminated for 15 minutes after sound and light show from Monday to Saturday from 8pm. Annual flower show during December has also been an added attraction since past few years. They have also improved amenities. There are two buggies and 15 toilets for ladies and 14 for men besides drinking water, medical and parking facilities, he said.
Foreign tourists to state still low
However, former vice-president of Karnataka Tourism Forum and founder member of Karnataka Tourism Society M Ravi felt, "Due to improvised amenities, tourists are getting diverted to cheaper destinations like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Georgia. Foreign Tourists coming directly to Bengaluru airport with itinerary to visit all the places. The visitors to Palace are mainly foreigners coming to Chennai or Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi Airports and coming here as part of their trips to other places in the Country," he said.
He added, "Foreign tourists are in fact on decline because the cost of tourism has increased here due to high airfares, exorbitant hotel/resort room costs. The cost for travel is also high due to increase in diesel prices, introduction of life time tax for two to 15 year old vehicles and compulsory installation of panic buttons (connected to police control room) for all vehicles to avail FC (Fitness certificate). Also basic amenities, cleanliness, security and infrastructure like connecting roads to tourism destinations from main roads are not adequate, Ravi said.
He added, "We need to have a dedicated focus to attract international tourists, with proper tourism ambassadors, short movies taglines promoting our destinations. We need better marketing strategies, utilsing social media international platforms better. Tourism is an important industry which generates high tax, GDP and employment. So it should be handled with passion with dynamic leadership involving experts who are experienced in the field," Ravi said.