Jaisalmer is back on tourism map after eight months

After nine months of lockdown, Jaisalmer is under the tourism spotlight once again. Rajasthan’s prime destination, Jaisalmer is now seeing a surge in tourism, as tourists from Gujarat and other northern states are returning. The city went through a slump in terms of tourism since the lockdown, much like most other destinations in the country.

Jaisalmer, in fact, has about 70 per cent occupancy in its hotels right now. This comes after no tourists visited the city from March to October. Jaisalmer’s Sonar Fort in fact had a massive crowd, so much so that police had a hard time managing the traffic in and around that area. The parking places there were reported full. With masks and sanitizers on them, tourists made their way to the beautiful Sonar Fort that was also the topic of Satyajit Ray’s detective novel, and subsequent movie.
According to locals, the tourist flow has been good after October, and this is proving to be beneficial for locals who depend on tourism. About 5000 families depend on tourism in the district.

Jaisalmer is especially great during the winter months; according to reports, tourism has been booming here since Diwali. Whie the surge in tourism is a good thing, there have been some concerns regarding safety protocols.
Some tourists have not been following COVID guidelines, due to which the district collector has now started Corona Bhachav Jagruta Abhiyaan. Under this latest campaign, masks are being distributed, and chalaans are being handed to those who are breaking regulations.