Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Oct 26: The tourism industry which faced a tough time during the past two years is having a good time in the month of October. All the tourist attraction destinations are filled to capacity.

Most of the tourists prefer Mysuru, Kodagu, coastal region and Malnad. For Karnataka which attracts around 12% of tourists from all over the country, the season of festivals has instilled confidence again.

As there were restrictions in the past two years, the public is making the most of the public holidays in October. During Dasara, KSRTC provided special bus services and made a record profit of Rs 22 crore. During Deepavali also, it has pressed 1500 buses into special service and is expecting to make a huge profit. KSTDC sources say that people are responding well to the packages of the tourism department.

Mysuru Palace sources said that 3.27 lac tourists visited it between October 1 and 24. The hotel industry of Mysuru is also upbeat now with Rs 200 crore monthly business.

More than one lac people visited KRS dam in Mysuru in just 20 days. In addition, tourists also throng Ranganathittu bird sanctuary, Gaganachukki falls.

In the coastal districts also there is considerable increase in the number of tourists. Everyday five to 10,000 people are visiting beaches at Panambur, Tannirbhavi, Malpe and Someshwara. During weekends, this number swells between 15 and 20,000. As the sea is calm, tourists are allowed to play in the water.

Everyday, three to four thousand people are visiting Pilikula Nisargadhama. The revenue has increased four fold according to Jayaprakash Bhandary, director of the sanctuary.

All the rooms in the lodges are full. Mostly corporate companies are booking the rooms. In addition, those who work in the IT sector are also showing interest. Around 90% of the rooms in Mangaluru are full.