Karwar: The Uttara Kannada district that witnessed tension due to Paresh Mesta death case may be returning to normalcy, but tourism here has taken a beating.
Major tourist destinations of the district such as Karwar, Kumta, Honnavar, Gokarna and Murudeshwar have been wearing deserted look eversince the commotion broke out.
Paresh Mesta, a local youth from Honnavar was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Dec 6, following which the district remained tense for several days. The BJP and the Hindutva outfits staged stir demanding arrest of Mesta’s murderers and slowly riots gripped Sirsi and Kumta along with Karwar and Honnavar.
Various news and messages circulating on social networking sites only worsened the situation.
One of the major source of income for people of Uttara Kannada has been tourism and the riots kept tourists away from the district. Even as Christmas holidays are here, the district hardly has tourists coming in.
“We usually see revelers coming to celebrate Christmas as well as New Year during this time. But this year the case is different. All tourist spots-Murudeahwar, Gokarna, Om Beach, Kudle Beach are deserted,” says a local resident.
As many as 200 Russian tourists who visit the region through tourist agencies too have been returning from the district without staying over. Hotels and resorts too are empty.
With New Year only a few days away, the local businessmen dependent on tourism hope things change for the good.
