With the Himachal government imposing night curfew in four districts of the state from Tuesday to contain spread of Covid-19, the hoteliers said the decision will destroy tourism completely which was slowly coming back on track after the lockdown.
Four districts of Himachal — Kullu, Shimla, Kangra and Mandi – will observe a complete curfew from Tuesday to December 15. No vehicle other than those engaged in emergency and essential supplies will be allowed on roads between 8pm and 6am.
Hoteliers said the tourism was coming back on track after a long time but this curfew will create panic among visitors who have planned to visit the state. Manali and some other tourist destinations of Himachal are reachable from Delhi after a travel time of over 14 hours. In such a condition, 10 hours’ night curfew will stop them from reaching their destination.
Hoteliers said the government should give relaxation to the tourists otherwise it will be a nightmare for those who are already in transit and those who have already booked their flights and other conveyance that will not match the curfew timing. They said snowfall was attracting tourists to the state but curfew in the main tourism districts of Himachal will adversely affect tourism.
A hotelier Anil Sharma said, “Be it towns or villages, Himachal wears deserted look in the nighttime in winter months when people mostly remain indoors. The government should impose a ban on functions to avoid public gatherings which is the main reason for the spike in Covid-19 cases in Himachal.”
“There should be some strict restrictions on marriages and other parties. We will welcome the decision to fine tourists heavily for disobeying protocols to contain Covid-19 but night curfew is not the solution but it will harm the tourism which has already suffered huge losses since March.”
Manali Hoteliers Association president Anup Ram Thakur said the hotels which are operational are struggling for survival and to pay the salary of the staff.
“Nobody is in a position to pay the bank EMI. A few tourists are visiting the state to see snow and to experience winter. Hotels have accepted advance booking. Hoteliers fear night curfew will destroy the business completely. I am requesting the deputy commissioner to allow tourist movement in curfew hours,” he said.
Tourists visiting Himachal from most of the states come via Delhi. Travel time between Delhi and Manali is over 14 hours. Hoteliers say if a tourist leaves Delhi in the morning, he reaches Manali in the late night. As night curfew has come into force, Mandi and Kullu police will stop them from entering the respective districts.
The Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association (FOHRA) state convener Budhi Parkash said, “Covid-19, lockdown, curfew, panic, and tourism cannot survive together. All of us have to fight Covid-19 together. We may lose a lot in this fight and the tourism industry is already losing a lot. This is also true that tourists will not visit a place with a lot of restrictions and legal complications.
Night curfew will harm our tourism which is still to be revived. Now that night curfew will surely harm it further, we suggest government to impose complete lockdown in the state so that we close our hotels till March 31 without worrying for further losses,” he said.
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