Chennai, May 29 (IANS) Unseasonal and continuous summer rain have severely impacted the tourism industry across the Western Ghats and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, causing widespread disruption and economic loss to those dependent on the sector.

With most popular tourist destinations temporarily closed, the hospitality and travel sectors have reported heavy cancellations and dwindling occupancy rates.

In the Nilgiris, a top tourist destination during the summer months, heavy rain has continued for nearly a week.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the district until Saturday, further dampening travel plans.

“It is still raining heavily. We have closed all the tourist destinations in Udhagamandalam. Though we opened the rose garden on Wednesday, only a handful of tourists turned up,” said Durga Devi, tourism officer for the Nilgiris district.

Other districts, including Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Dindigul, and Tenkasi, have also been hit by intense rainfall.

A senior official from the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department headquarters in Chennai said that bathing at the Kutralam waterfalls has been banned for three days due to flooding and slippery terrain.

“We have urged tourists to avoid visiting hilly areas until the weather improves,” the official stated, adding that a full assessment of losses will be made once the rain subsides.

In Theni, authorities have also prohibited bathing at the Suruli waterfalls, while ferry services in the Kanniyakumari tourist zone remain suspended. Resumption of these services depends on improvements in weather and sea conditions.

Tour operators and hoteliers in affected areas are bearing the brunt of the weather.

M. Akbaruddin, a Chennai-based tour operator, reported that over 90 per cent of planned trips to destinations like Ooty, Coimbatore, Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari, and Madurai have been cancelled in the past two days.

“This applies to almost all local tour operators,” he said, adding that “We’re hopeful that conditions will normalise by the first week of June”.

–IANS

aal/svn