Ooty: After a gap of two months, there is now good tidings for the travel and tourism industry in the hills with good influx of tourists since Friday evening as the improved weather profile and Ramzan holidays have begun to create magic to bring in more tourists.
After the end of the popular summer season in May, tourism has been at a low ebb for the past two months. The rains, winds and clouds that made up for the south-west monsoon profile in the hills all these days after summer, have also proved a deterrent to the flow of tourists as the hostile weather has kept tourists away.
With improvement in the weather profile since Friday and in the backdrop of the Ramzan holidays, tourists are back in Ooty to enjoy what the hills have in store for them now as good rains have made the hills even more verdant, though the weather is cold.
Saying that influx into the Government Botanical Garden (GBG), a major tourist attraction here, has improved steadily since Saturday, Ms G.K. Umarani, assistant director of horticulture at GBG, said for the past two months, the average inflow to GBG was below 1,000 people per day. But, on Saturday, it rose to over 3,000 – a good sign as tourists have begun to come here to enjoy nature in the hills now.
Mr N.Chandrasekar, secretary of the Nilgiris hotels and restaurants association, said the Ramzan holidays have certainly set the tone for a surge in tourist inflow to the hills in the post-summer period and it is expected to pick up in the weeks to come.
Mr Vijaykumar, a tourist from Bengaluru, said Ooty looks fresh and lovely now with lush greenery.
“It is great to wear woollen garments and stroll in the hills that have an occasional drizzle - a new tourism experience in the hills, though it is also cold over here,” he added.
