COIMBATORE: Tourists were disappointed as destinations under the control of the Tamil Nadu forest department in the Nilgiris were closed without prior announcement to facilitate better polling in the district on Thursday (April 23).
In a sudden move on polling day, the forest department announced the closure of all tourist spots under its jurisdiction in the Nilgiri Forest Division. Following the directive, some key attractions, including Doddabetta Peak, Avalanche, Pine Forest, Pykara Falls and other eco-tourism sites were shut for the day.
It was decided to keep tourist spots shut to facilitate employees working at these locations to exercise their democratic right. However, the unexpected closure caused inconvenience to tourists who came from neighbouring states such as Kerala and Karnataka.
Many visitors, unaware of the last-minute decision, gathered outside the closed tourist spots, took photographs, and left disappointed. The tourists claimed that they would have planned their trips elsewhere if the closure of tourist spots had been announced in advance.
“Due to a sudden closure of tourism spots, we were forced to spend the whole day in our rooms,” said S Midhun Kumar, a tourist from Kerala. He had visited the hills along with his family.