For about a decade, the valleys of Bastar have been attracting tourists, but as they are not getting the expected facilities in proportion to their number, they are distancing.
According to sources, tourists started avoiding visit to Bastar, known as the tourism capital of Chhattisgarh. Tourism had increased in the State in a rapid pace after 1995, but its graph has grown down in the same speed after 2009.
The tourist inflow has decreased by 25 per cent during the last three years. One of the reasons is said to be Naxalite attacks in Bastar, but on the other, the Bastar tourism has been made costly for the visitors. The tourism package, being made through the travel companies, has come as an additional burden on the tourists. There is no direct bus service to the tourist spots. The visitors feel Bastar tour insecure and costly. They have to pay 10 per cent more bills for visiting Bastar.
The Forest Department, tourism board, Government and the administration have failed to provide the expected facilities to the tourists, who spend thousands of rupees to visit Bastar. Most of the tourist places are about 40-50 km away from the city and it is not easy for them to reach there.
No direct bus services to reach Kanger valley, Chitrakot, Thamadaghumar, Mandva, Chitradhara, Bhainsadarha and Kailash Gufa. Hired vehicles are too costly to reach these places. Some years ago, the forest department had started direct bus service to Kanger Valley, but due to poor response from tourists, the department stopped the service. There is no arrangement for stay and food in these places that could provide the tourist the feeling of nearness to the nature.
Even though there are dozens of tourist places, the tourism board has centered its total attention at Chitrakot only. As a result, besides the motel and restaurant at Chitrakot, there were no staying or food facilities for the visitors in any other tourist spots. Naxalites had demolished the resort of the Forest Department at Netanar. In nutshell, mismanagement is responsible for the falling graph of tourist inflow in Bastar.
According to Tourist Officer, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, Rajkumar Tiwari, the board had constructed six motels for providing facilities to tourists, out of which, the board runs the only motel at Chitrakot. The other motels have been given on rent, because of the less number of visitors. Food facilities are there in the Chitrakot motel, he added.