Hotel and lodge owners of Madurai say the government nod to resume operations from Tuesday will help in revival of business, which have incurred huge losses after being closed down for over five months.
President of Madurai Hotel and Lodge Owners Association K.P. Navaneetha Krishnan says there are around 400 hotels and lodges in the district. Of them, only around 10 were permitted to accommodate doctors, frontline staff and travellers during their quarantine period.
On Monday, several smaller hotels and lodges, which were not operational for the past five months, could be seen cleaning and disinfecting their premises.
The Standard Operating Procedure issued by the government necessitates complete disinfection of the premises, adhering to a minimum of six feet distance and face mask usage by guests and staff. It also emphasises on proper disposal of waste generated by the guests.
G. Vasudevan, vice-president, Tamil Nadu Travel Mart Society and proprietor of Fortune Pandiyan Hotel, says minimum contact will be ensured between guests and hotel staff. “Even food will be delivered outside the guest's room and not directly to the guests."
A .Ramasubbu, proprietor of Sai Ram Residency, says many small lodges owners are struggling to pay electricity bills, salary for their staff and maintenance charges. “Resumption of services will help not only hotel owners, but also allied service providers,” he noted.
The scrapping of e-pass system in the State will help to increase the footfall of guests in the hotel, feels N. Suresh, manager of Naveen Saravana Lodge. “We anticipate more tourists as devotees have been permitted to enter all places of worship.”
Mr. Navaneetha Krishnan says online bookings started on Monday and by evening bookings have also been made in a few hotels. “Only if public transport between the districts resume, there will be more footfall of guests in hotels,” he points out.
However, it will take more time for business to return to normality, says Mr. Vasudevan. “It is important for hotels and lodges to follow safety precautions and instill confidence among customers,” he adds.
But, there is still no permission for functioning of bars attached with hotels, said Assistant Commissioner (Excise) C. Shankaranarayanan.
