Covid curbs in Gujarat: Gir sanctuary loses out on foreign visitors

AHMEDABAD: Covid curbs including lockdowns, restrictions on international flights and general fear of the pandemic kept foreign visitors away from Gujarat’s wildlife sanctuaries. According to

Gujarat

Forest Department data, between April 2020 and March 2021,

Gir sanctuary

received only 126 foreign visitors — an all-time low. Meanwhile,

Nalsarovar

saw only two foreigners which is a three-year low.

Gir is the only abode of the Asiatic lions in the world, while bird sanctuary Nalsarovar has been a Ramsar site since September 2012.

Foreign visitors to

Gir

sanctuary were down 97.6% in 2020-21 from the previous year. The total number of visitors stood at 1,09,400, down by 28% from the previous year. Similarly, foreign visitors to Nalsarovar were down 97.1% from the previous year, while the total number of visitors slipped by 82.54% to 9,126.

“The numbers fell mostly because of Covid-induced lockdowns and suspension of international flights on multiple occasions in this period. Foreigners also stayed away due to advisories from their own governments,” a Gujarat forest department official said. The official said, “In Gujarat, Gir attracts the highest number of foreign visitors as it is home to the Asiatic lions. Wildlife researchers, experts and enthusiasts prefer to visit other sanctuaries such as Nalsarovar and Khijadia bird sanctuaries, wild ass sanctuary in Kutch, sloth bear sanctuaries in Jessore and Ratanmahal.”

The official added that local visitors and those from other Indian states flocked to Gujarat’s wildlife sanctuaries every time the state governments lifted lockdowns.

“Ever since the lockdowns were lifted, we have noticed that the number of

Gujaratis

as well as tourists from other states started increasing. However, the number of foreign visitors is still not increasing despite resumption of some international flights now. This is probably due to fear of Covid,” the official said.

He said that the state’s income from visitors to 14 wildlife sanctuaries stood at Rs 3.75 crore in 2020-21 including Rs 228 lakh from Gir and Rs 33 lakh from Nalsarovar.