Hotels in Uttarakhand continue to remain as hoteliers state the government’s guidelines are impractical and financially unviable for business. Under the government’s guidelines, hotels can’t accept bookings from 75 high load COVID-19 cities. The guidelines also prohibit visitors tourists from visiting any tourist spots and public places. The Uttarakhand government gave hotels and homestays a green signal to remain open from June 8 as part of Unlock 1. But hotels continue to remain closed as hotel associations from popular tourists towns of the state find the guidelines impractical. They plan to resume only when the situation is favourable for them. To know more about this read on to find out.
Uttarakhand Remain Closed As Hoteliers Find Government Guidelines Impractical
Hoteliers in Uttarakhand decide to keep their hotels shut as they find the government guidelines impractical to open for business. According to the guidelines, the cleared hospitality establishments will not be permitted to take bookings from guests 75 high load COVID-19 cities. This includes cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Noida and others. the hilly state receives a high volume of tourists from these cities.
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These new guidelines issued on June 7 also prohibits all guests from visiting tourist spots and other public spaces. Tourists from non-high load COVID-19 cities must stay for a minimum period of seven days. The guidelines state hotels and homestay management must take an undertaking from their guests to this effect. Violators would be booked by the police.
The hotel associations of famous tourist towns of Uttarakhand like Nainital and Mussoorie termed these guidelines as impractical. As a result, they continue to keep their hotels shut. Hotels and homestays received permission to open their establishments from June 8 in Uttarakhand. But since hoteliers found the new guidelines impractical and financially unviable, they continue to remain shut. Throughout India, the government gave guidelines for reopening hotels, restaurants, offices, malls and religious places from June 8.
Hotels In Nainital To Open Only When Situations Turn Favourable For Business
President of Nainital Hotel Association, Dinesh Shah has 120 hotels under him. He states to Hindustan Times that even though the government allowed them to resume operations if they followed the guidelines it will still be difficult for their business. Hence, they decided to keep the hotels closed.
Shah pointed out the conditions for the same. He reveals that the government prohibited them from accepting bookings from guests from high load COVID-19 cities. Among them, there are cities which give them maximum business. People also visit Uttarkhand for its tourist spots from distant places. Jim Corbett National Park is one of the iconic tourist spots in the state.
He questions, why would they come to the hotel if they aren’t allowed to visit the tourist spots? He exclaims that visitors aren’t fools to quarantine themselves for seven days inside hotels in Uttarakhand. Dinesh Shah states that they already suffered losses during the peak business months of April and May. He states that they will only open for business when it’s favourable for them. Shah adds the government hasn’t yet released the hotels which it took as quarantine centres. Many hotels and iconic landmarks in Mumbai were also given as quarantine centres.
Mussoorie Hotels Shut For Next 10 Days
RN Mathur, President of Mussoorie hotel association has around 200 hotels under it. He gave similar reasons to Hindustan Times to keeping hotels shut in the hill station. Mathur states that Mussoorie is a place where tourists reside for a maximum of one or two days. But the guidelines state that guests have to compulsorily stay for seven days. So why would they stay for such a long period? RN Mathur informs that they will keep their hotels closed for the next 10 days till they take some decision. When hotels in Mussoorie opens and it’s safe to travel again then do visit Rokeby Manor, a 175-year old resort in Mussoorie