Dasara brought no cheer to the Mysuru zoo

The COVID-19 pandemic has left a long-lasting injury on the tourism business and the footfall at the Mysuru zoo, the metropolis’s most populardestination, throughout this yr’s Dasara and through the festivities final yr clearly illustrate it.

In 10 Dasara days final yr, the zoo had managed to appeal to a whopping 1.65 lakh guests. This yr, the quantity stood at simply 20,000, reckoned to be lowest in its current historical past. This quantity is lower than what the zoo had drawn on Vijayadashami final yr which was 28,386.

Dasara is one in every of the greatest tourism seasons so far as Mysuru is worried and the footfall continues even after the complete festive season is over. The vacationers’ influx continues nearly until the finish of the yr after Dasara season, bringing income to lakhs of individuals depending on the business.

This yr, the vacationer websites are struggling to get guests after the lockdown curbs had been unlocked, threatening their survival, together with that of Mysuru zoo whose income at one level of time turned zero.

If the statistics of the final 4 years had been seen, the variety of guests throughout 10 days of Dasara had been on the rise yearly, growing the revenue. Footfall is vital for the zoo’s upkeep because it doesn’t get any grant from the authorities. The gate assortment is the solely supply of revenue for taking care of the well-being of animals, feeding prices and employees salaries.

In 2017 Dasara, the zoo attracted 1.23 lakh guests which elevated to 1.53 lakh and additional rose to 1.65 lakh in 2019 Dasara.

Last yr, ₹1.59 crore income was earned in a span of 10 days. It was ₹1.05 crore in 2018 and ₹69.17 lakh in 2017. But this yr, the income earned was solely ₹19.56 lakh in 10 days, thought of the lowest in current historical past.

Post-COVID-19, the zoo had managed to get between 2,000 and 3000 guests on weekends and round 1,500 guests on weekdays since final month. The highest single-day guests to the zoo since the pandemic this yr was 7,264 which was achieved on Vijayadashami. On the day of Ayudha Puja this yr, 3,534 folks visited the zoo. The single-day income on Vijayadashami Day this yr was ₹7.33 lakh and ₹3.05 lakh on the day of Ayudha Puja, stated Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni.

There had been occasions when the zoo might earn ₹30 lakh in a single day in the type of gate assortment. But, the pandemic devastated the tourism sector and the stakeholders proceed to endure losses, hoping for revival, if not this yr, no less than from subsequent yr, assuming the vaccine arrives early subsequent yr.

The variety of guests on Ayudha Puja day in the final 4 years is: 15,499 in 2017; 22,398 in 2018; 30,273 in 2019; and three,534 in 2020. On Vijayadashami day, the footfall was 31,722 in 2017, 32,301 in 2018, 28,386 in 2019 and seven,264 in 2020. Last yr, the zoo earned ₹29.77 lakh from gate assortment on the day of Ayudha Puja and ₹28.28 lakh on the day of Vijayadashami.