Hotels in Goa ready to resume operations, awaiting govt's COVID-19 guidelines

Even as the state government allowed entry of tourists in Goa from today, hotel owners, who have applied for permission with the tourism department to resume functioning, are still waiting for guidelines to be followed by them in the view of COVID-19.

Goa Hotel & Restaurant Association President, Gaurish Dhond said that hotels in Goa are ready to open their gates for travellers but they are yet to receive SOPs.

"It is a good move that the government has decided to open hotels. In fact, they should have opened a long back. I have been told by Goa Tourism Director's office that SOPs are yet to be loaded. Once advisory comes, every hotel will have to file undertaking, take the necessary precautions according to SOPs. Like every time the guest check out, the room has to be fumigated," Dhond told .

"260 hotels have applied for permissions with the Director's office. We know tourists are not going to come immediately. We expect corporate clienteles to come. There are so many auditors who tied up with many compes in Goa. We are ready to start operations," Dhond added.

Tourism Director Menino D'Souza said that hotels will be permitted to take bookings after the department looks into their undertakings.

"The Central government allowed hotels to open from June 8. SOP was also issued for the opening of hotels. From today, the government has permitted to open hotels in Goa provided they stick to all guidelines and SOP. Till date, 260 hotels have registered with us. We will look at their undertakings and accordingly permit them to start activities," D'Souza said.

"We have not permitted hotels now to take bookings. They can only take bookings after our permission. Today we will permit hotels as per undertakings they have given," he added.

Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said bookings will only be allowed in hotels registered with the tourism department.

"It is a demand of the hotel industry that hotels should be opened. The hotels will be opened as per guidelines. 250 hotels have sent their applications to resume operations. Bookings will only be allowed in hotels registered with the tourism department. Tourists who used to illegally stay in non registered hotels (booked through app aggregator services) or in unregistered guest houses will not be allowed. It will be deemed illegal," Ajgaonkar told .

The minister also said that for a tourist to enter the state, he or she will have to carry a COVID-19 negative certificate within the stipulated 48-hours window or get mandatorily tested in Goa.

"We will have a checking mechsm for the examination of these certificates at entry points. If the tourists do not carry the certificate, they will be sent to the respective hotel which they have booked themselves into where they will be tested," Ajgaonkar said.

( With inputs from ANI )