Cyclone Phailin flattens Puri as a tourist destination

Cyclone Phailin has wiped out Puri from tourist itineraries this winter season.

Not only are there no new enquiries; those who’d planned a vacation in the coming season seem to be looking at options.

“Puri is a winter destination. "The impact of what has happened will be felt for another 30-60 days in October-November.

"We are also advising people to change their plans till things come back to normal,” said Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com

Travellers are opting for other beach destinations like Goa, Kerala and other spots on the western coast.

Last year around nine million domestic tourists and 65,000 foreign travellers thronged Odisha. October to December is peak travel season for the coastal state.

The damage caused by the cyclone to the infrastructure of the state has also left destinations like Puri not so tourist-friendly.

“The road and rail connectivity has suffered. Even hotel infrastructure would have taken a beating.

"Tourists can easily avoid these things and go for other options,” said a senior travel company executive.

In Odisha, Puri is the most popular tourist destination, for its temples.

The nearby village of Raghurajpur attracts a fair number for its heritage tag.

Meanwhile companies are reaching out to travellers who’d booked packages for Gopalpur and Puri for later this month and November, to update them on the travel and logistics situation.

“In the aftermath of the cyclone, our focus is on ensuring all our customers in Odisha and neighbouring areas along the Odisha and Andhra coasts are safe. We are closely monitoring the on-ground situation.

"As an after-effect of Phailin, rainfall is expected in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and eastern Madhya Pradesh,” said Mohit Gupta, chief business officer-holidays, MakeMyTrip.

Image: Puri; Photograph, courtesy: Business Standard