Hotels in the desert state of Rajasthan are forced to forego their new year celebration plans, as tourists cancel bookings due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation and foggy weather.
The Pinkcity has been a preferred destination for domestic tourists to celebrate new year. However, this time the celebration seems to be reduced to locals only, with hotels not keen on pomp and splendor on large scale to welcome 2011, unlike the previous years.
"Occupancy was around 80 per cent before the Gujjar agitation but (now) 15-20 per cent bookings are being cancelled every day while there is no hope of fresh bookings. So, we hoteliers are not doing very much to welcome the new year," Director of Hotel Paradise, Vinayak Sabu, said.
According to official sources, inflow of tourists has reduced by 60 per cent due to the agitation and foggy weather conditions.
A tour operator said that many have changed their choice of destination from Rajasthan to somewhere else due to uncertain law and order situation while the tourists who are already in the city are suffering a lot due to blockade at several places including one between Ajmer-Jodhpur.
The Gujjars' agitation which entered 10th day today has disturbed normal life in parts of Rajasthan, besides blocking Delhi-Mumbai, Jaipur-Delhi and Jaipur-Kota rail routes. Also, several roads including National Highway-11, which is the route of the popular golden triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur have also been inaccessible by protesters.
This has thinned the tourist flow, bringing new hardship to hotels.
RS Rathore, General Manager of Hotel Man Singh said, "we were planning a grand party like a gala dinner, dance and other events on large scale as usual, but have cut short the preparations because it seems that the number of guests will be very less in comparison to (what we used to have) every year."
He said earlier thousands of tourists from Chandigarh, Delhi and other places used to flock to city to celebrate new year but the situation was not the same for this year.
On the other hand, new year celebrations for local party goers is in full swing and various events have been planned to welcome 2011.
"Preparations for the new year events are fully on in clubs. We have various attractions in our events which will be disclosed just before the new year's eve.
New year events which are organised in resorts, clubs are totally unaffected of the agitation as we have local customers not tourists," Harmeet Singh, an event organiser said.
