Hotels in Goa will remain shut for another month: Goa CM

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday that hotels in the state would continue to remain closed till at least the end of this month, and that his government would decide on their reopening in July. In a statement that is likely to disappoint tourists hoping for a Goa trip just as the nationwide lockdown eases, he said, “We will not open hotels for tourists, and will take a call on that after one month”.
The chief minister said that the state's tourism department has been receiving a lot of calls from tourists inquiring as to when the state government is planning to open hotels. “Domestic and international tourists are ready to come to the state,” he said. “I am confident Goa will have a far better tourist season when we open up than we had in the past.”
Sawant said that tourists want to come to Goa since there is no community transmission in the state. He said that even domestic tourists who had initially intended to travel abroad may, considering the current situation, prefer to visit Goa. “The government and people of Goa will be ready to welcome tourists once a standard operating procedure (SOP) is ready,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sawant said that apart from hotels, the state is set to open other establishments and activities that are permitted by the guidelines issued by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA). Restaurants will open from June 8 with 50% capacity, he said.
The MHA guidelines, issued on Saturday, permit the opening of religious places/places of worship, hotels, restaurants, malls, hotels and other hospitality services from June 8. Meanwhile, Sawant said that his government won’t allow parties in the state for now, and a call on that, as well as schools, would be taken later.
A day after the MHA issued new guidelines, Sawant told TOI that Goa would not permit interstate public transport for at least another month. He had also said that bars in the state would not open. Malls and restaurants, however, would open from June 8, he had said.