Owners of hotels, restaurants and small businesses in the Nilgiris breathed a sigh of relief as tourist inflow into the district increased over the festive period.
Since Christmas Day, more than 25,000 people have visited the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam, a substantial increase since parks and other tourist spots re-opened, Horticulture Department officials said.
Hotel and restaurant owners said that one of the reasons for the increase in the number of tourists could be the fact that popular tourist spots such as the Ooty Lake and Boat House, Pykara, Ninth Mile and Doddabetta re-opened earlier this month. Prior to this, only parks and gardens run by the Horticulture Department were allowed to be reopened.
“As the re-opening of the tourist spots coincided with the winter break, many families have decided to start traveling to the Nilgiris. A good winter tourist season was essential to keep many businesses afloat as the COVID-19 pandemic had severely affected us this year,” said an owner of an eatery in the Nilgiris.
The increase in the number of tourists also led to traffic snarls across Udhagamandalam and Coonoor. Traffic had to be managed in Commercial Road, Garden Road and Ettines Road in Udhagamandalam, while gridlocks were also reported on the way to Doddabetta Peak.
Police personnel were deployed across the district to ensure that traffic did not come to a standstill.
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