Mysuru witnessing year-end surge in tourist arrivals

The city known to be a destination for all seasons, is witnessing a sharp surge in the tourist arrival for the year-end holidays

Most hotels have announced a cent per cent occupancy, and bookings till December 28, and hotel owners expect that there will be a last-minute rush to fill up the available accommodation due to sustained demand from December 28 to 31, as well as it does every year.

C. Narayana Gowda, president, Mysuru Hotel Owners Association, said that all hotels and available accommodation in a radius of 4 km from the city centre are full booked till December 28.

‘’Besides, about 70 per cent of the rooms are booked for the period December 28 to 31 as well, and we expect a last-minute rush to close bookings for the remaining rooms as well,” he added.

There are nearly 430 properties in Mysuru accounting for 10,500 rooms catering to tourists ranging from the budget category to those seeking accommodation in the luxury segment.

Almost 50 per cent of the tourists are from different parts of the State while the remaining are drawn from States like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharasthra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

Stakeholders point out that if not for the suspension on wildlife safari in Bandipur and Nagarahole, the hotels would have reported 100 per cent occupancy from as early as December 15. Karnataka banned wildlife safari in all tiger reserves and sanctuaries due to a spate of tiger attacks that led to the death of three farmers in and around Bandipur in November this year. This was attributed to habitat disturbance caused by anthropogenic pressure and hence safari was suspended as an ad hoc measure.

‘’But many tourists visit Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu – which is just a few minutes drive from Bandipur – and where safari operations have not been affected,” said Mr. Gowda.

Tourism is one of the major economic drivers of Mysuru and is reckoned to generate nearly 80,000 to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. The city is also a base for tourists opting to explore other destinations including Wayanad in Kerala, Ooty in Tamil Nadu etc. The neighbouring district of Kodagu is also a major destination which draws tourists who visit Mysuru.

The city receives nearly 3.5 to 4 million tourists every year on a conservative estimate and is based on the entry tickets sold at the palace. The presumption is that no first-time visitor will skip or fail to include the palace in the itinerary.

But the tourism sector in the region – which also covers Srirangapatana, Somanathpur, Nanjangud, etc – is largely fuelled by domestic travellers. There are concerns that international tourists constitute less than 2 to 3 per cent of the annual footfall, while nothing is being done to improve this segment of tourists whose spending habits can further shore up the fortunes of the sector.