The disappearance of tigers from Sariska and Ranthambore has not only been an ecological disaster, but has also adversely hit the tourism sector.
Besides forts and palaces, the big cats have been the big attraction for tourists to Rajasthan for decades.
But with tigers virtually vanishing from Sariska and 18 reportedly missing from Ranthambore, bookings for wildlife tourism are taking a serious hit.
Domestic tourists
“They have flatly told us that don’t even ask us for Wildlife bookings. If you want cultural tours to be promoted, we can work that out for you but wildlife, you forget at the moment.
“Out of 10 travel agencies abroad, I could convince only two to visit Ranthambore because I said there are tigers there and I have myself seen them. But Sariska they have totally refused,” said Kuldeep Singh, Rajasthan Tour Operators Association.
Besides a 40 per cent drop in foreign bookings, the travel trade says even domestic tourists are now giving wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan a miss.
Earlier domestic tourists flocked to Sariska and Ranthambore in the summer when spotting tigers is easy. But the story this year is quite different.
“It is not only foreign tourists who are not keen to come now. Even domestic tourists, who used to come for short trips to Sariska, Bharatpur and Ranthambhore are just not coming. With hardly any tigers or birds left, there is no charm for them to come any more,” said Sanjay Kaushik, Wildlife Tour Operator.
More: ndtv.com
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