CM Stalin to relax in Kodai with family, stakeholders feel tourists may shy away

MADURAI: Kodaikanal, the popular hill station in Dindigul district, is set to welcome Chief Minister MK Stalin, who has scheduled a trip to the hill station, which could provide a break from the sweltering summer heat in the plains. But, some stakeholders in tourism feel that his stay during peak season may affect tourists inflow.

CM Stalin along with his family is scheduled to make a special visit to Kodaikanal on Monday and stay in a resort for a few days. To facilitate the CM’s visit to Kodaikanal, key routes from Batlagundu, Palani and Adukkam that drive up to Kodaikanal would be closed for a few hours on Monday morning until the CM reaches the hill station. These routes would be opened to tourists subsequently.

It is for sentimental reasons that CM Stalin scheduled to spend his time in Kodaikanal because Stalin’s stay in this hill station ahead of 2021 election results buoyed the DMK led front’s victory, sources said.

Dindigul Superintendent of Police A Pradeep announced a ban on flying drones and hot air balloons in Kodaikanal ahead of CM’s visit and will remain in effect from April 29 to May 4.

However, some of the stakeholders relying on the tourism industry felt that the Chief Minister’s arrival in Kodaikanal that too at its peak season might slow down tourism.

A Robin, president, Tourist Guides Association, Kodaikanal, said this hill station is a magnet for tourists escaping summer heat in the plains just at the right time when many could not get at the jam packed outdoors. Even some tourists rushed to leave hotels on Sunday ahead of CM’s touring schedule thinking that the authorities might impose any fresh set of restrictions, he told DT Next on Sunday.

It is said that routes leading to the hill station of Kodaikanal through plains would remain closed from 8 am, to 1 pm. This weekend, there’s a huge turnout of tourists from Kerala, where the general election ended on Friday. Further, he opined that the Chief Minister could make his way from helicopter to this jam packed Kodaikanal, which has a total of five VIP helipads. He also urged the need to open four alternate routes, which were once operational, including the one from Munnar, Kerala to avoid congestion en route to Kodaikanal.

SM Vetrivel alias Ramesh, tourist guide in Kodaikanal, said a route from Pambarpuram to the hill station would be closed to vehicular traffic from 8 am, on Monday and tourists should take a circuitous route to make their way in. There’s a good turnout from Friday evening as tourists travelling on vehicles made a beeline from Perumalmalai. Usually on Sundays Kodaikanal sees a huge turnout of tourists, who do not prefer to stay indoors, but return on the same day.