As Covid cases dip, tourist infl ow gathers pace in Mysuru

Shilpa P. | NT

With Covid-19 cases showing a consistent decline, the tourists’ inflow to Mysuru has picked up and there has also been a significant influx of foreign tourists.

The number of tourists visiting Mysuru Palace has been steadily rising for the past ten days and on Sunday there were 7209 visitors, which is the highest since January 3. The number of foreign tourists visiting Mysuru Palace this month has touched 237, which is the highest monthly inflow since April 2020, when travel restrictions were imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Another good news is that Mysuru Palace is now ranked 17 among the most reviewed places in the world on Google maps, with 1,92,946 reviews.

On Sunday, there were only 48 cases of Covid 19 and no deaths in Mysuru.

Mysuru Palace has been witnessing a steady rise in visitors since February 11. There were 4,981 visitors on Saturday (February 19). There were 4,985 visitors to Mysuru Palace last Saturday (February 12), and there were 7,043 visitors on last Sunday (February 13).

Even on weekdays, the number of visitors to the palace has remained above 2,000 since February 11.

There were 2,431 visitors on February 11, 2,922 on February 14, 2,807 on February 15, 2,464 on February 16 and 2,093 on February 17 and 2,373 on February 18.

The onset of the Covid-19 third wave in January had brought down the average number of visitors to the Palace.

Hotel occupancy up
Mysuru Hotel Owners Association President C Narayangowda said hotel occupancy has improved to 60 per cent during weekends and 40 per cent during weekdays.

The heritage city has 415 hotels with 10,300 rooms. He pointed out that during the Omicron scare last month, hotel occupancy in Mysuru was a mere 10 per cent, and it had plunged to 2 per cent during the second weekend due to curfew.

Tour operators hopeful
Prashanth B.S., President, SKAL international Mysuru, an association of travel and tourism professionals, has said that their business has crossed 50 per cent now. He expects tourist arrivals to peak during April, once the school and college exams are over.

Mysuru travel agents association president C.A. Jayakumar said, “The entry tax for buses from Kerala is 40 to 50 per cent higher when compared with Tamil Nadu. If this is reduced we will have three times more tourists from Kerala,” he said.

YOGA A MAJOR ATTRACTION
The number of foreign tourists to Mysuru Palace, which had dropped to as low as seven on June 7, 2020 after the onset of Covid, has touched 237 so far this month, with a week more to go. This is the highest monthly foreign tourists’ inflow to Palace since April 2020.

According to Mysuru approved tourists guides association President S.J. Ashok, since restrictions for tourist visas have not been lifted, the foreign visitors to the palace are those who are on education or business visits to the country, he said.

Many have come to the city to learn Yoga, as it is home to 500 yoga institutes and 1,000 yoga teachers. The President of Federation of Yoga Institutes of Mysuru, Srihari D., said that majority of these foreigners in the city have come to learn yoga.

MYSURU PALACE MORE REVIEWED THAN TAJ
Among most reviewed places on Google maps in the world, Mysuru Palace (ranked 17) was ahead of Taj Mahal, which is ranked 19 with 1,88070 reviews.

In the top 20 list of most reviewed places on Google maps globally, Gateway of India in Mumbai was ranked 5 (with 2,60,034 reviews), while India Gate, New Delhi was ranked 15 (201691 reviews) and Maidan, Kolkata was ranked 20 (1,77559 reviews). Masjid al Haram, Mecca, in Saudi Arabia was ranked 1 with 3,31,393 reviews.