The tourists footfall in the city and the region witnessed a spike on Sunday, given the long weekend coupled with the holiday for Independence Day.
As a result, traffic in the heart of the city and roads surrounding the palace was unusually heavy for a Sunday, while all the parking avenues were chock-a-block with vehicles.
The multiple parking avenues abutting the palace fort were full and the visitors were being turned away and the Doddakere Maidan opposite the Exhibition Ground was crammed with vehicles, which never used to be the case even during Dasara.
The verve and spirit of the 75th anniversary of Independence Day was a contributory factor for the tourists rush and the locals also added to the flavour by flocking to the city centre.
Besides, there were continuous rains since June across the State forcing people to postpone or suspend their excursions and tours. But there was a reprieve from rains resulting in an influx of tourists to Mysuru.
That the tourist numbers had peaked was evident with all hotels in Mysuru declaring a sellout from August 12 to 15. Hotel Owners’ Association president C. Narayana Gowda said that people were flocking to Mysuru from neighbouring States also.
He said there are nearly 10,000 rooms in various hotels catering to tourists from the budget category to those in the luxury segment and almost 100% have been booked in advance.
Besides, there are guesthouses and resorts on the city outskirts and other parts of the district and, including a few in the residential areas, all of which have declared 95% occupancy rate.
The tourism sector had taken a hit during two years of the pandemic and the resultant lockdowns. But with the Dasara set to be a grand affair this year the tourist inflow is bound to be higher than ever and the sector is expected to rebound from the depths.
