Tourist footfall surges in Malnad towns for NY, holidays | Bengaluru News
Chikkamagaluru: Karnataka’s favourite tourist hotspots in Malnad towns of Hassan and Chikkamagaluru have been witnessing a surge in footfall for year-end holidays and low-key, intimate celebrations to ring in the New Year. Thousands of people from within Karnataka and also neighbouring states, besides North India, are arriving in the twin towns by the thousand. While the less adventurous are preferring cosy resorts, others are putting on the gear for visits to rugged terrains and waterfalls. Trekking — a major woo factor here — is on the backburner because of the mercury’s free fall this season.The hospitality sector in the region — which had taken a hit due to continuous rainfall in most parts of 2025 — has found its mojo, again, with a majority of accommodations in Koppa, Sringeri, Mudigere, Kalasa, Chikkamagaluru, Sakaleshpur, and Belur completely booked out for a week.Vasant, working in Bengaluru for a multinational company, said he reached his hometown on Dec 23 to prepare the ground for year-end celebration. “My friends planned a New Year celebration in Chikkamagaluru, and I’m making arrangements for them. This time, we’ve planned something different,” he said, keeping plans under wraps.Manjunath, who operates a resort in Chikkamagaluru district, said his facility is fully occupied for the last week of December. “We’ve added several competitions and different events to make and feel the celebration really different for our guests,” he said.Occupancy at hotels within town limits is 100%, and online bookings were closed a week ago. Ranjan Kumar from Andhra Pradesh said he, along with his family and four friends, visited Sakaleshpur on Dec 28 to celebrate the New Year. “We are on a five-day trip,” he said.Owing to high tourist inflow, sleepy towns in the district were witnessing high traffic and heavy crowds at tourist hotspots. However, police were making efforts to control the crowd and traffic.
