Puri hoteliers expect 15% rise in business during Car Festival

Unperturbed with the naxalite abductions of two Italians in March this year, Puri hoteliers are hopeful of about 15 per cent rise in business during the ensuing Rath Yatra (Car Festival).

“We expect at least 15 per cent increase in business as more than 10 lakh footfalls are anticipated during this Rath Yatra. There is no impact of the abductions of Italians by naxalites earlier this year, on the flow of tourists as 80 per cent of the visitors are domestic”, said Ramkrushshna Das Mohapatra, President, Hotel Association of Puri (HAP).     Industry sources say, hotels in Puri do about Rs 40 crore business during the ten day fest. The coastal town Puri, abode of lord Jagannath, has about 600 hotels including 50-60 premium brand hotels, 400 standard hotels with the rest being holiday homes and lodgings.

The Car Festival this year will be held between June 21 and 29 commemorating the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama and their sister Subhadra to their aunt's temple situated at a distance of two km on the Grand Road. The devotees, who are not allowed into the temple premises such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can have the glimpse of the deities on the chariot.

However, Travel & Tour Operators Association of Odisha feels that lack of promotions of this event abroad has failed to pull foreigners to the temple city.

“We don’t see any opportunity from the annual Rath Yatra. There are some enquiries for cultural tourism but it is unfortunate that lack of promotions in foreign countries have failed to pull the crowds from abroad”, said  Yugabrata Kar, Secretary, Travel & Tour Operators Association of Odisha.