Over 70% Sariska bookings cancelled

ALWAR: The ongoing Gujjar agitation has hit the tourist arrivals at the Sariska tiger reserve.

The efforts to revive the tiger population at Sariska, and the recent visit of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had brightened its prospects of attracting higher number of tourists this year. However, the road and rail blockade by the Gujjars has dealt a blow to the sanctuary's plans to cash in on the year-end festivities, with over 70% cancellations being reported in the past few days.

Hundreds of tourists have been left stranded and majority are not ready to take any chances. "Over 70% bookings have already been cancelled at my property," says Dinesh Durrani, owner of Sariska Tiger Heaven Hotel.

The hotel had put in a lot of effort and money to spruce up the property before the new year but the owner now fears it would be difficult to recover the investment.

Another hotel owner in Alwar Nagesh Kumar said as long as the New Delhi-Jaipur highway was not blocked, there were no major cancellations but after the Gujjar leaders decided to oppose new year celebrations, many bookings have been cancelled. "In today's age, people have access to information regarding remotest of areas. Tourists start for a trip only after taking all precautions," said Kumar.

Andy Crooks, a tourist from Australia who was at Sariska on Wednesday had to cut short his extensive Rajasthan trip due to the Gujjar agitation. "We had to face several difficulties as buses and trains were diverted," said Crooks.

Records show that the number of tourists coming to Sariska during the last week of December has decreased drastically this season. Last year, 25,501 tourists had come to Sariska on December 25. In comparison, this year only 229 tourists came to Sariska for Christmas. From December 26-29, over 2,100 tourists visited Sariska in 2009 but only about 900 tourists made it to the wildlife sanctuary this year.

"The road blockade at Nathni ka bara village on Alwar-Jaipur route on Wednesday has scared the tourists and several of them were stranded for hours. There is a possibility that tourists could stop coming to Sariska after Wednesday's blockade," chief forest officer at Sariska R S Shekhawat told TOI.