Mysuru tourism industry bearish over protests, eclipse

Year-end dampener

The tourism industry in Mysuru, a popular destination during the Christmas/New Year season, is likely to take a beating this year, due to the ongoing protests against CAA.

With the main objective of giving a boost to tourism and to attract more visitors to the city, the district administration, in association with the Department of Tourism, is organising the winter festival, which includes a flower show on the Mysuru Palace premises.

Mysuru is a preferred destination not only for people from the state but also from Tamil Nadu and Kerala during Christmas vacation.

The hospitality industry is feeling the pinch of the protests. Tourist inflow has dropped, compared to last year, and hotel bookings are being cancelled.

Hotels and resorts in Mysuru, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru are much sought-after destinations during the season. Bookings are done in advance. But this year, approximately around 40% of the bookings have been cancelled, according to the Hotel Owners Association. A few hoteliers are doubtful about the business returning to normalcy during the next few days.

The solar eclipse on December 26 has also stopped tourists from planning for the vacation and some have postponed their plans. Almost all temples remain closed during the day of the eclipse.

Speaking to DH, Ravi Shastri, president, Hotel Owner’s Association Charitable Trust, said the occupancy rate has dropped by 30% as on Tuesday.

“Tourists are hesitant to plan a vacation, mainly due to the ongoing protests. The hotel industry sees good business for 10 days during the year-end. There will be full occupancy during the time, with boards announcing ‘no rooms available’. But this year, bookings are less and those already done in advance have been cancelled. We are hoping that the business will pick up in the coming days, though there are no signs of it till now,” he said.