The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : The party is over

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

The party is over

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, DEC. 30 . It is the peak tourism season. The year-end is party time to usher in 2005. But the December 26 tsunami has paralysed the tourism and hospitality industry not only in Tamil Nadu but also in the entire south.

Add to it today's alert and consequent panic and the picture is complete. Many holidaying in the region have cut short their vacation. Most of the hotels have announced cancellation of the post-Christmas and New Year-eve parties.

Hopes dashed

At a time when the industry was looking forward to cash in on the buoyancy in the economy, the seismic waves have washed away their hopes.

Reports from major tourist and pilgrim centres — from Kanyakumari and Rameswaram, to Madurai, Tiruchi, Nagapattinam, Pondicherry, Mammallapuram and Chennai — indicate that it may turn out to be what the industry calls "a premature end" to the season. It expects the western region to buck the trend, though the mood seems to be one of gloom and fear.

Industry sources say many of the hotels across the State have called off special parties and celebrations for New-Year eve. "Apart from a sudden drop in visitors, it is inopportune to organise festivities when the country and the region have suffered such a disaster," reasons the general manager of a leading hotel here. Most of the hotels have decided to dismantle the decorations and remove colour lights.

Hotel managers say December-January is the peak season for both foreign and domestic tourists. People from the north come to Chennai for the music season, on a pilgrimage to the south and to avail themselves of their leave travel facility. Those who are already here have decided to return home and many who were expected this week have cancelled their programme. Many foreign tourist groups have also cancelled their trips. But the industry is hopeful of a revival once things settle down and doubts over epidemic in the aftermath of the tsunami deaths and decaying bodies are cleared possibly by early January. Normally, the tourist season lasts till February.

It remains to be seen whether the dark clouds over the tourism and hospitality industry will clear over the next few weeks.

Given the frequency of the aftershocks and the panic they trigger, industry sources wonder whether they will achieve 70-80 per cent occupancy at least towards the end of the season. Whether or not the other sectors of the economy are affected, the hospitality and tourism sectors have certainly taken a beating.

All that the people have for the New Year weekend are the annual mega sales by different retail outlets and shopping malls, it seems.

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