AHMEDABAD: Not just local tourists, but even VIP visits to the Gir Sanctuary are on the rise. Diwali season had failed to attract the required tourists, but the ban on the New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31 has given the required boost to tourism in Gir, as the sanctuary falls on the way to Diu.
Sources in the forest department said that at present there are hardly any weekend spots where the permit limits (150) have not been exhausted. If the numbers of all tourists who have come to the Gir Sanctuary (since resuming on October 15) after the lockdown is added with the tourist numbers to Devalia, then it would be around 40,000.
Officials said that Bollywood star Amir Khan’s recent visit with 50-odd persons, and the visit of the Gujarat governor on Monday, signalled people were touring again.
Gir forest officials said that till December 31 almost all the permits in the three morning slots have been booked and even afternoon slots are also full barring a couple of permits. A senior official said that the rush on the eve of New Year in January was higher than that during Diwali. Usually one found similar visitor numbers in Diwali and in the year-end festive season.
“We have learned that majority of the tourists are heading to Diu for their New Year’s Day celebrations, and this is causing the rush to Gir. Diu is just a two-hour drive from Gir Sanctuary. Beat guards who talk to tourists say that around 60% tourists are heading to Diu,” said a senior forest officer.
Mohan Ram, deputy conservator of forest, said tourists are returning to the sanctuary, and the department is also taking all precautions to ensure their safety. “We have installed thermal cameras, hand sanitizers, and even sanitize the vehicles after every trip. On weekend, all permits are exhausted, while during the weekdays only a few evening slots are available,” Ram said.
Dinesh Mehta, a businessman from Ahmedabad said, “We decided to go to Diu and visit Gir and then head to Somnath where we will spend a day or two, and then head back to Diu for New Year’s Day.”
Ritesh Maheshwari a tourist from Vadodara said, “My parents had come from Jaipur and we decided to visit Somnath and Dwarka. We will begin the trip from Gir, and it will end on New Year’s Day in Dwarka.”