NT NETWORK
Panaji
Tourism activities in the state opened up further with the Department of Tourism, on Thursday, allowing water sports and river cruise operators to commence business.
Only licensed water sports and river cruise operators, who are registered under the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982, will be permitted to commence operations, with effect from October 15, said a circular signed by the director of tourism, Menino D’Souza.
The Department of Tourism released safety and hygiene guidelines detailing the SOPs to be followed by all operators so as to prevent the spread of
COVID-19.
The guidelines state that any water sport activities not yet registered with the Department of Tourism must first complete the registration process before restarting
operations.
The water sports activity operator as well as all staff, both skilled and unskilled, should download the Arogya Setu app and provide their details on their phones via IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System), state the guidelines.
The operator must also find out if any staff had COVID-like symptoms or came in contact with COVID positive people and take action accordingly.
The guidelines detail the protocol for bookings, equipment and handling customers.
It states that the operators must greet the customers with namaste, and maintain social distance. Further, they are required to screen customers for fever, cold or COVID- like symptoms.
The guidelines for river cruises include staggered cruise timings, social distanced seating arrangement, rules for entry and exit, frequent sanitisation of premises, adequate food counters on the premises, etc. Only packaged food must be allowed in the cruise boats, state the
guidelines.
Both water sports and river cruise activities are allowed to operate with only 50 per cent capacity and must follow the MHA as well as state guidelines on hygiene.
The Department of Tourism has asked the operators to accept bookings by preferably digital transactions and avoid cash handling.
