TIRUPTTUR: As temperatures soar across the State, travellers thronged the Yelagiri hill station, only to allegedly find some usual tourist spots not maintained properly. The hospitality industry and tourists urged the district administration to do more to make tourism attractive in the Yelagiri hills at Tirupattur.
The boat house and the Nature Park -- two major places of interest for visitors -- were allegedly neglected. "The bushes which grew after the recent rains have not been cut. The children's park is rusty and damaged. Miscreants have vandalised swing and other plays," said M Sangamithra from Ambur, a regular visitor to the hill station. "The Fish Show here used to be great a few years ago, but now it is neglected. The bamboo huts and other areas are also simply not maintained," she added.
The boating is overcrowded and unpleasant, said another tourist. Other travellers also demanded the officials take care of traffic congestion.
The hills attract tourists from Ranipet, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Chennai, Bengaluru and neighbouring areas in Tirupattur. People coming from these long distances are disappointed since Yelagiri does not have many places to visit, said a hotel owner, on the condition of anonymity. "Around 60% of the tourists are from Chennai and Bengaluru. Apart from boating and parks, there are adventure games and a few other private entertainment places. But, people feel they are expensive. There is a proposal to start a botanical garden but work has not started yet," the quoted person said.
Yelagiri's hundred small and big hotels, cottages and resorts had been hit hard during Covid-19. But, things are finally turning up for the hotel industry here as there has been an uptick in tourist arrival since the end of April, especially on weekends. "During Fridays and Saturdays, a huge number of people turn up. But they are staying just for a night, as they don't have anything else to see. If ecology, tourism and other places were developed, then they can stay longer. The occupancy in hotels is very low on weekdays. The tourist arrival is not even 10%, which was not the case before the pandemic," another hotelier said.
Tourists there said they were anticipating Yelagiri Kodai Vizha and the Flower show. Usually held in May, the Kodai Vizha was postponed to June this year and will be a seven-day festival. People familiar with the matter said it got delayed due to the Chief Minister's visit to the district. The hospitality industry in Yelagiri fears that the season and suitable climate would be lost if with a delay.