Hoteliers of this state do not want the govt to restart tourism till October

In wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Himachal hoteliers have urged the state government to not start tourist activities in the state till October despite the state government issuing standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the same.

In a letter to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and the tourism secretary, Himachal’s hoteliers have said that tourist activities should not be permitted for the next few months as Covid-19 cases are increasing at an alarming rate in India and the world at large.

All Himachal Association of Hospitality and Tourism, spokesperson, Ashwani Bamba said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the tourism and hospitality sector hard. Hotels have been closed for three months and no revenue has been earned. While we are concerned about the survival of our industry, loss of revenue, our staff and families, we cannot put the health and lives of our society at risk.”

“At present, there is no vaccine available to cure the coronavirus. The people are afraid and will not prefer to venture out of their homes and stay in hotels,” he said.

In summer, tourists from Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu flock to the state but these states are gravely infected and are in the red zone. Inviting tourists to visit Himachal will put the public at risk, the letter said.

The letter adds that as most patients are asymptomatic, even if all precautions are taken and social distancing is maintained we will be putting the lives and health of hotel staff at risk. Bamba said hoteliers were not expecting many tourists to visit Himachal in July and August and it would be financially unviable to open the hotels.