Soaring temperatures in Rajasthan have hit tourist traffic to the state, famous for its forts, palaces, desert, culture and heritage.
Every year, especially during summer vacations, loads of tourists visit the state, but this time the numbers have dropped drastically -- as the day and night temperatures have been 4-5 notches above the season's normal.
"During summers, especially during May and June, local tourists visit the state as majority of schools declare vacation and hotels offer discount and packages. But this year, even discounts by hotels have failed to attract tourists," a travel agent, Karan Singh, said.
Hotels are reporting decline in check-ins and even the prominent tourist sightseeing places are reporting thin attendance, Singh added.
Tour operator Surendra Kumar said that on an average of 1,000-1,500 persons visit monuments in Jaipur daily.
"In the last week of December, every day around 10,000-12,000 tourists visited prominent places, including Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, among others, in Jaipur," Kumar said.
Rajasthan attracts over 12 lakh foreign and over two crore Indian tourists annually.
Phalodi in Jodhpur district touched 51 degrees Celsius on May 19, the highest temperature recorded so far in the country. Jaipur also recorded 46.5 degrees Celsius on that day.
--IANS
as/rn/vt
