Himachal Pradesh hoteliers in no rush to resume operations

MANALI: Even as the Himachal Pradesh government has allowed opening of hotels and restaurants from June 8, the hoteliers of state say they will prefer to stay closed until the government comes out with a uniform tourism protocol and there is clarity on action if a tourist tests Covid-19 at one of their units.
During a virtual meeting with the tourism department officials on Wednesday, the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association (Fohra) said they would first want the government to ensure uniformity in tourism-related rules across the country.The hoteliers also wanted to know the government’s action if a tourist is found positive for Covid-19 and also how the government would ensure multi-level sanitisation of tourists and their vehicles.
Fohra state convener Budhi Parkash said a lot of things need to be discussed and sorted out before resuming the tourism and hospitality sector operations. “Himachal gets tourists from all states of the country. Better coordination among states and uniform tourism rules are a necessity. We have urged the government to think on it. We are open to discussions. When a set of rules is in place across the nation, we can proceed without hesitation,” he said.
The hoteliers also want the government to set up a mechanism to sanitise incoming tourists and vehicles multiple times at the borders of each district. They also said that tourists should be medically examined by a government agency and the government should take responsibility of the tourists who later test positive for Covid-19.