THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The unexpected surge in Covid-19 cases has crushed the hopes of several local tourism entrepreneurs and homestay owners in the district. Especially the ones in Kovalam and Varkala are back to the previous year’s helpless condition. They were hopeful of getting their business back on track this season with the inflow of tourists. However, the travel restrictions and containment zone regulations have put their livelihoods at risk once again.
“Several entrepreneurs running homestays and other local tourism facilities were badly affected due to the pandemic last year. Things were getting back to normal. But the second wave of the pandemic has left many dealing with the same crisis. Bookings have stopped due to travel restrictions,” shares Manoj M P of Ganesh Homestay in Kovalam.
“A month back, the homestay had half occupancy, now it is almost zero. Our clients are usually Russians. However, even domestic tourists from neighbouring districts such as Kollam and Ernakulam, have stopped booking. Night curfew imposed after 9pm has also added to the problems. There has been no support from the government for people like us. After three years, the license of homestay facilities has to be renewed. However, we are clueless about how to pay the sum at this point,” Manoj adds.
The local tourism entrepreneurs say the small businesses that suffered huge losses due to the pandemic will not revive if the current situation continues. The budget-friendly backpacker hostels have also started to feel the pinch. However, some are hopeful of handling the situation. “Our guests include solo travellers and small groups who come with friends. The travel curbs and mandatory RT-PCR tests have led to a dip in the number of travellers. But unlike last year, we are ready to welcome the guests adhering to Covid protocols,” says Donny Varghese of Verve Stays in Varkala.
Travels businesses are also heading to a crisis. Naveen Shah who runs Swastik Tours & Travels says, “Many bookings scheduled for May and June have been cancelled. About 75 per cent of our clients are Gujaratis and the remaining are from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. When the situation was controllable, we had started taking bookings from domestic tourists. However, with the second wave, we have stopped that too.”
According to the District Tourism Promotion Council authorities, many facilities under the tourism department also face a revenue crisis. “With the financial aid of Rs 5 crore provided by the government to all the DTPCs in the state during the first wave, many tourism facilities have been able to survive. However, with public parks and other beach destinations likely to remain closed due to the present situation, things are likely to become worse and affect the revenue,” says Bindu Mani, DTPC secretary in Thiruvananthapuram.