Increasing number of tourist, challenge to Corbett Admin

Dehra Dun, June 25 (UNI) India's first National Park Jim Corbett National Park accrued revenue to the tune of Rs 2.30 crore this season till June 15 with an increase in the number of visitors.

However, foreign tourists did not make it to the park as was expected by the Park Administration.

This season, starting from October, a total of 1,39,047 tourists visited Corbett Park which was 10,000 more than that of last season.

Among them, only 8,333 were foreign tourists. Though the statistics at the Park Headquarter shows incredible increase in domestic tourists there was a decline in foreign tourists. More than one lakh tourists visited the Park.

Mr D S Rawat, Warden, Corbett National Park said although an increasing number of visitors was a matter of satisfaction, but it also placed a new challenge before the Park Administration to accommodate the increasing number of tourists every year. He said more foreign tourists were expected this year but it did not happen.

He conceded that the strike of Forest Department Employees and Kandi Road movement that resulted in the uncertainties in the beginning of the season might have shooed away the foreign tourists.

Dhikala Tourism Zone in the Park was closed on June 15 and Bizrani zone would close on June 30. Jhirna Zone is however, kept open through out the year.

UNI