Tourism takes a blow
Tourism was never so terror struck in Rajasthan as it is now in the wake of the revival of Gujjars' reservation stir, report Siddhartha S. Bose & P. Srinivasan.
Tourism was never so terror struck in Rajasthan as it is now.
The strategic Golden Triangle circuit linking Delhi with Jaipur and Agra was rendered off limits for tourists after the state roadways withdrew its services beyond Bharatpur following the revival of the Gujjars’ reservations stir. The railways has “diverted and detained” trains on many routes in the state on Saturday forcing tourists to cancel their trips.
“Their have been cancellations. This is the time when the backpackers, the Japanese and Spanish tourists on budget visit India,” Delhi based tour operator, Sanjay Luhadia of Explore India said. Tourists cancelled their trips altogether after their embassies flashed the news of violence and withdrawal of transport services on the Jaipur-Bharatpur-Agra route.
“The Golden Triangle is a tourist circuit that brings business even during off season,” a tour operator in Jaipur, Sanjay Kaushik said.
While S.K. Singh, chief manager of Sindhi Camp Bus Stand in Jaipur, said bus services to Alwar, Agra and Bharatpur have been withdrawn due to the agitation, the chief public relations officer, North-Western Railway, K.L. Enkhia said two passenger trains were asked to stay put at railway stations beyond Bandikui, 90 kilometre from Jaipur. Six trains were diverted.
Around three crore domestic tourists and 15 lakh foreigners visited Rajasthan last year.
