Tourist footfall in Mysuru and surrounding areas is registering an increase as Dasara enters the final phase. Only three days remain for the Jamboo Savari (procession of elephants) slated for October 24.
The hospitality sector in Mysuru has an inventory of over 10,000 rooms, almost 95% of which is booked. A few rooms are being held over for last-minute arrivals, or for regular clients.
It is customary for the tourist footfall to gain traction half-way through the 10-day festival, and it was no different this year as well. Bulk of the bookings are being done in online mode. The concept of walk-in customers, especially during Dasara, is obsolete given the rush and the limited availability of accommodation.
Though the hospitality sector has expanded in recent years, adding additional rooms with a slew of new properties coming up in Mysuru, the net increase is barely enough to keep pace with the rise in tourists, especially during the peak season. Dasara is one of such period. “Hence, visitors to Mysuru do not take a chance during Dasara, and prefer advance reservation through the online mode,” said C. Narayanagowda of Mysuru Hotels’ Association.
‘’The last four days of Dasara see a rise in the arrival of tourists. It is true this year as well. Up to 95% of the rooms are already booked,” he added.
He informed that bulk of the visitors are from Bengaluru and different parts of Karnataka, followed by people from neighbouring Kerala. There is a considerable dip in the number of tourists from Tamil Nadu this year, owing to tension over Cauvery river water.
South Western Railway (SWR) has introduced additional train services to and from Mysuru to cope with the holiday rush. This includes special services during this 10-day period to Bengaluru, Chamarajanagar, Hubballi and Vijayapura. There will be special services to Bengaluru and Chamarajanagar on October 24 to enable visitors to reach their destinations after viewing the Jamboo Savari.
The online tickets for Jamboo Savari, or the Vijayadashmi procession, and the Dasara gold cards were sold out within minutes of being offered for sale, underlining the demand. More than 10,000 tourists are visiting Mysuru palace daily, as indicated by the number of tickets sold. This does not take into account the huge crowd that congregates in the evening for cultural programmes in front of the durbar hall, as entry is free for all.
There is a spill-over effect on the surrounding areas as well. The 13th century Keshava temple at Somanathapur, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has seen an increase in the number of tourists. Some of the other places that attract tourists during the Dasara festivities are Nanjangud, Talakad, Srirangapatna, Ranganathittu, Melukote, and Bandipur.
