Spurt in tourist arrivals in Munnar; fewer visitors for Thekkady

KATTAPPANA: The post boat-tragedy period has shown a decline in the number of tourists, both foreign and domestic, visiting Thekkady while the overall trend in Idukki district was more or less the same in the last tourist season compared to the previous one.

While the records show a 10 to 15 percent decline in the tourist arrivals in Thekkady from October last year to May this year, almost an equal increase was recorded in the tourist arrivals in Munnar during the season. During January-February, the main tourist season in the district, the decline in tourist arrivals in Thekkady in comparison to the previous year was very much evident, as per the official figures.

According to District Tourism Promotion Council secretary M. Rajesh, an overall shift in the tourist arrival pattern was seen with fluctuations in the monthly figures even as the tourist arrivals to Munnar showed an increase last season compared to the previous season. He said that the world economic slow down has not affected the tourist arrivals in the district much as the numbers showed a slow but steady increase. Different marketing packages had been drawn for tourists from European countries and the Southeast nations who arrive at different periods during the year, including the monsoon season.