BENGALURU: Most tourism sites in Karnataka will be closed on May 10, to ensure the staffers vote and also to discourage people from turning the day into a holiday and making bookings. Hotels and resorts -- both government and private -- are discouraging people from making bookings and staying at their properties on May 10, without voting. They are also planning special schemes and discounts for tourists who vote and then come to the properties.
District administrations have also ordered tourism sites to be closed. The Shivamogga DC has announced that Jog Falls will be closed to tourists as staffers have to go to their respective homes to vote.
Officials from Jungle Lodges and Resorts said 17 per cent of bookings have been done for May 10, and most of them are from outside Karnataka. Holidayers who have booked are leaving either on May 9 or early morning of May 10. The management are giving their staffers leave to go home and vote. Similarly, staffers of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation will be given leave, and the properties will be managed by skeletal staff.
The Zoo Authority of Karnataka has said that zoos can be closed on May 10. While Mysuru Zoo will operate with staffers on rotation, Bannerghatta Biological Park will be closed, to enable staffers to vote.
Forest officials are in close contact with the Election Commission to check on closing down safaris for the day, and giving leave to staffers. Directors of various tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries are also discussing the issue with district administrations.
“We don’t want people to use May 10 as a holiday. So we are discouraging tourists from making bookings for that day. We also don’t want our staffers to lose the opportunity to vote,” said a KSTDC official.