Dengue fear dip tourist arrival in Rajasthan's Shekhawati

Sikar, Oct 7 (UNI) The fear of dengue has cast its shadow on the tourist arrival in Rajasthan's Shekhawati region this season.

Last year the tourist arrival to Shekhawati comprising Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts was 300, which has been reduced to 140 this year, according to the tourist department.

Shekhawati region often termed the ''Open Air Art Gallery of Rajasthan' is famous for its quality frescoes painted by artists between 1750 to 1930. The frescoes offer fascinating insights into skills and creative imagination of artists who painted the walls, lintels and temples and were patronised by wealthy Rajputs then.

The foreign tourist arrival has been most affected by the dengue outbreak, especially in Rajasthan. Till now there have been just 44 arrivals from Germany, 19 from Switzerland, 11 from Italy and Saudi Arabia, six from US, five from Australia and four from Japan and three from England in Shekhawati, say tourism officials.

Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) managing director, Rakesh Saini, however claimed, while talking to UNI in Jaipur, that there are no visible effects on the tourist arival in the state.

He said,''There have been enquiries from the Palace on Wheel (PoW) passengers but no mass cancellations as such. The travel advisories for the tourists are issued by their own countries. Till now the dengue, malaria and chikungunya have not had a major impact on tourist arrival.'' The tourism officials says although the health department claims the situation is under control, more measures should be taken immediately to arrest the spread of these seasonal diseases, otherwise it may hit the tourist season badly this year.

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