Click to play videoJaipur: Worried over rising swine flu toll, Rajasthan government has invoked the Epidemic Act in the state.
The swine flu scare also comes as a nightmare for the state’s tourism industry which was hoping to recover from the losses caused by the Gujjar protests and terror strikes in the last two years.
However, there are some tourists who are enjoying their trip to Rajasthan.
Valentina is one of those tourists who kept her date with Rajasthan this year, despite the number of swine flu cases in the state.
“So far so good, I have come here and haven’t fallen sick. I haven’t met any sick person on the way,” she says.
But not many have been as brave as Valentina and therefore the Rajasthan tourism has been badly hit this year.
Tourist spots like Amber fort, which are normally full by this time of the year, have registered less than half the average footfall.
Across the state hotel bookings have reportedly dropped by 40 per cent.
It’s the third bad year in a row after the terror threats, Gujjar protests and global meltdown. There is no relief from domestic tourists either.
“Domestic tourism has also been hit by swine flu and if you look at Jaipur for instance where all the schools were closed because of swine flu then who will come here from at least say Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai,” says tour operator Kuldeep Singh.
Moreover, the tourists coming from Europe are not the big spenders but budget travellers.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
 |
 |
 |
|
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.