Panaji: Looking for recovery from the COVID-19 second wave, the state’s hotel and hospitality industry wants to open sooner to tourists than the government-decided date of reopening.
Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, several hoteliers said that they must be allowed to open their establishments to travellers earlier than the government-decided date of July 30, as the coronavirus’ second wave has been on the wane, and the threat of infection has diminished.
The Travel and Tourism Association on Goa on Wednesday said that it sees no harm in the state opening its doors to tourism once the coronavirus positivity rate dips below five per cent.
“The positivity rate, which is 7.63 per cent presently, has been steadily decreasing, and is expected to come down to five per cent in a week’s time going by the current rate of decline. Hotels have vaccinated nearly 80 per cent of their employees. With the government allowing only individuals with RT-PCR negative certificate to come to the state permitting, tourism is reasonably safe,” TTAG president Nilesh Shah said.
Shah added that the government must strictly enforce COVID safety protocols, and the industry is ready to abide by it. “During the June 8 meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the association had sounded out the government on tourism resumption after the positivity rate goes below five per cent. The association will follow up with the request,” Shah disclosed.
“It is not as if tourists will flow into the state once the government decides to open the industry. Economic activities all over the world are restarting once the positivity rate falls to five per cent. Hotels that are presently open in the state are already following safety protocols. All businesses have to operate in the pandemic situation including the Goa tourism industry,” reckoned the TTAG president.
According to the TTAG, salaries of hotel employees have been slashed during the pandemic with some employees are not getting paid at all. The industry’s survival is at stake.
“COVID-appropriate behaviour is the new norm, and to revive Goa tourism it is necessary for hotels to open,” Shah said.
The state government’s target is to vaccinate everyone in the state with the first dose by July 31, and until then tourists spots will remain out of bounds for travellers.
However, local hotels and hospitality stakeholders have said the one month wait is too long and will drive the industry to further losses.
Tourism activities in the state have been closed since April 29 and curfew restrictions will be on until June 28.
Hotels though are open with only three or five guests in the property. Hoteliers said that they are getting a small number of drive-in customers and check-in of stray guests.