NEW DELHI: Struggling to boost footfall at the two Dilli Haats, in Pitampura and Janakpuri, the tourism department will curate multiple cultural events or food festivals on every weekend there to attract more visitors.
Officials privy to the development said that the department had authorised managers of the respective haats, which are open-air food plazas and craft bazaars, to conceive and design events for “effective planning and execution”.
Senior officials said that it had been observed that customised programmes help to draw more people to the two Dilli Haats, located in west and north Delhi, which have had low footfall since they opened.
“We have been seeing this phenomenon that the number of visitors goes up during special events. Janakpuri and Pitampura, where about 250-500 people come daily, receive 5,000-6,000 guests every day during special events and festivals. The manager has been asked to suggest themes and the nature of the programme, according to the flavour of the visitors,” said an official.
For instance, Janakpuri Dilli Haat, located in a Punjabi-dominated area, may see more mushairas and Punjabi folk shows, he said.
The tourism department, which operates the haats, has been frequently holding food festivals, fairs and special cultural events at three haats, including the most popular one at INA Market, to promote them. However, the results with regard to Pitampura and Janakpuri have not been encouraging.
The department plans to create a food plaza at Pitampura on the lines of the erstwhile ‘food street’ in Pragati Maidan.
Footfall at Pitampura:
250 people a day in summer
300 on weekends
400 in winter
500 on weekends
Footfall at Janakpuri:
500 in summer
700 on weekends
1,000 in winter
2000 on weekends