Tourist spots in Karnataka see rise in footfalls amid Unlock-3, nature destinations in demand

BENGALURU: The rush at tourist spots in Karnataka shows that residents were waiting eagerly for the lockdown to be lifted. Footfalls have been increasing over the last one week after restrictions on travel were lifted under Unlock-3.

“Rather than city tourism, there is a demand for nature destinations. Good footfalls are being reported in Nandi Hills, Jog Falls and Almatti. Footfalls in Coorg are gradually rising and would pick up in another 2-3 days,” Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Vijay Sharma said.

As for package tours, the demand is for Tirupati where around 160-170 tickets are being booked, Sharma added.

Officials from the tourism department added that people are also preferring to drive out themselves. Tourists are planning both long and short trips. They include locals living near the destinations who are keen to take a break from the lockdown. But not many from Bengaluru have started to travel to longer destinations like they used to before the pandemic hit. There is still some hesitation. "We are now trying to win back the confidence of people instead of offering any new packages,” the tourism official added.

Travel agents said as many are still opting for work from home, they are heading to nature destinations and working en route. Some said that tourists have not yet started to explore offbeat destinations. Unlike last year’s unlock period when people were looking for lesser known places, this time they are sticking to familiar sites, citing safety reasons.

Jungle Lodges and Resorts Managing Director Kumar Pushkar said that even though people prefer Kabini, the rush this time is more to Bhadra. This is because the destination is ideal during monsoon as it has a boat and wildlife safari. Another reason could be that the rates are comparatively lower. Tourists are also preferring Bandipur, K’Gudi, Jog’s Sharavathi and Devbagh.

Footfalls in the Bannerghatta Biological Park also saw a rise. BBP Executive Director Vanashri Vipin Singh said during weekdays the footfalls were around 1000-1500, but during weekends, especially on Sundays, there were around 3000-3500 visitors.