Amidst coronavirus pandemic, people unlock wild side

Tourists dining at Lalith Mahal Palace hotel in Mysuru on Thursday.

Three months of punishing lockdowns seems to have ignited the dormant wanderlust in people, who are increasingly escaping into the lap of nature in Karnataka to unwind.

Testimony to the trend is coming from the bookings at the government-run Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR), which notched up a whopping Rs 2.5 crore revenue in just three days since the relaxation of lockdown rules on June 8.

Tourists are flocking to Kabini, Bandipur, Nagarahole, K Gudi and Bhadra for a break. According to officials at the JLR, tourists are responding positively and returning after bookings, cancelled earlier due to lockdowns, were rescheduled.

“There has been a considerable footfall of tourists in most of the properties, especially the ones near to the national parks and sanctuaries. We were apprehensive about the public’s response initially. But people have responded phenomenally,” said an official from JLR.

Vijay Sharma (IFS), Managing Director, JLR, told DH that fresh bookings worth Rs 50 lakh were registered in the last two days after reopening the facilities.

“Bookings worth Rs 2 crore made earlier as part of summer holidays had to be cancelled," explained Sharma. "But we reached out to people and eventually convinced them to reschedule the trips. In fact, people are more than willing to travel and visit many of our facilities with family and friends as seen in the last four days."

Sharma said they have adhered to the standard operating procedure issued by the Centre, state and put in place every possible mechanism to ensure the safety of tourists.

The onset of monsoon and steady rainfall in South-Interior Karnataka districts have also given a boost for eco-tourism activities at these facilities.

The safari vehicles have been back in business with strict compliance of social distancing rules.