Hyderabad:
Less than six months ago, it was a city on the ascent. A thriving business centre also known for its warm hospitality. And people flocked.
But December on has not been the best of times for Hyderabad. Its image as a tourist and business destination has taken a severe beating following a series of events that have kept the city of pearls in constant turmoil.
It began first in the form of the Telangana unrest. Then, the violence and curfew in the Old City area followed.
And in a matter of a few months, Hyderabad is no more a hot destination. Domestic arrivals have dropped by 20 per cent between December and March. And big events like Indian Premier League matches have been taken away from the city.
"The government itself has lost upto 20 crore rupees and the private sector upto five times more, close to 100 crore rupees. From December onwards, we are consistently seeing major cancellations of international and domestic events and conventions. They have been moved out of the city," says Jayesh Ranjan, Tourism Secretary.
February is traditionally the best month for hoteliers, when they normally record 75 per cent occupancy. This year it was down to 55 per cent. March saw more than half the rooms going unoccupied.
Ram Misra, president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Andhra Pradesh says: "The first quarter is not showing any pick-up at all so far. Normally by now, the bulk bookings are into the system and we know May will be fine. But as of now in April-May, there is nothing happening."
Even a tourist destination like Vizag is feeling the Hyderabad blues, where tourist traffic in the last four months was down by 18 per cent.
When everything about Hyderabad was hunky-dory before December, plans were made to add 1400 rooms in star hotels in the financial year 2010-11. The tourism sector hopes this period of uncertainty will not mean that these rooms will have no one stay in them.