Recovering from a troubling 2020 over the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry is once again facing an uncertain fate following the surge in infections in neighboring Kerala and the curbs that followed.

The state government’s restrictions on people from Kerala have impacted the total number of tourists in Mysuru and Kodagu, a 30-40 percent decrease. People with negative reports about the tests performed within 72 hours are pushing the envelope, but their numbers are small.

The hotels in Mysuru and host families and resorts in Kodagu are reporting the cancellation of bookings by visitors from Kerala in view of the stricter regulations of the state with a mandatory RT-PCR test for those coming from the neighboring state.

Surveillance at border checkpoints in Mysore and Kodagu has also contributed to the decline in tourist influx, said tourism sector actors The Hindu spoke to.

BS Prashanth, president of the Mysuru Travels’ Association, said he had received information from his Kodagu travel agents that bookings would be canceled after the curbs were put in. “We are in a helpless situation. The industry, which saw hope after an increase in visitor numbers, is once again pushed into a crisis situation. “

In Mysore, hotel occupancy, which was around 70 percent until recently, has fallen by 30 percent.

Narayana Gowda, president of the Mysore Hotel Owners’ Association, said running the business is difficult now without any relief from the government. “When the industry is in crisis after crisis, the government is busy collecting taxes from us.”

Mr Gowda said the association has asked district authorities to ensure that tourists are not harassed on behalf of checkups and tests, as recovery from the pandemic could take longer.

“We have no objection to the measures taken to combat the contagion, but tourists should not be exposed to harassment related to the tourism industry, which makes lakhs of families a living,” he argued.

BR Nagendra Prasad, president of the Kodagu Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association, said Kerala tourists no longer visited Kodagu with strict vigilance at border checkpoints to control the spread of COVID-19.

New worries for the zoo

Instead of following in the footsteps of the days leading up to COVID-19, Mysuru Zoo is seeing fewer visitors, creating new concerns for management. The unexpected decline comes after the weekend voter turnout topped 7,000 to 8,000 after pandemic cases had dropped significantly since early 2021.

The weekend frequency has almost decreased by 3,000.

Ajit Kulkarni, executive director of the zoo, told The Hindu that Kerala visitor numbers had been impacted by the decline in visitor numbers from the zoo.

The maintenance of the zoo depended solely on the collection of gates. If revenue falls, it has a direct impact on maintenance.

“The zoo needs £ 7 a day to cover the expenses and maintenance of animals and birds. We have not yet received this amount and hope that the number of visitors will continue to increase so that we can become sustainable after COVID-19, ”said the zoo’s sources.

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