The hotel industry in Mysuru, which had been tottering under the impact of the lockdown, received some respite from the demand for accommodation to compulsorily quarantine people arriving from outside the State and country.
With the revised rules on transport of stranded persons to their native places making 14-day facility quarantine compulsory for all inter-State and international travellers, the authorities in Mysuru are offering people arriving from outside the option of staying in government accommodation with basic facilities free or paid accommodation with better facilities in hotels and lodges.
The Mysuru district administration has enlisted upto 2,500 rooms in 170 hotels and lodges to quarantine people arriving in the city from outside the State and abroad. People arriving in Mysuru can choose from five-star accommodation by paying ₹3,000 per head per day, three-star accommodation by paying ₹2,000 per head per day and ordinary hotel accommodation at the cost of ₹1,000 per head per day, said Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association president Narayan Gowda.
Those choosing hotel accommodation will have to pay separately for their food. Already, about 250 people had checked into the accommodation in different hotels in Mysuru. However, the hotel management will have to maintain social distancing and high standards of hygiene, besides mandatorily providing hand sanitizers to guests.
Travellers arriving in Mysuru from outside the State and abroad will be subjected to screening at a facility set up at GRS Fantasy Park on the outskirts. Post the screening, asymptomatic travellers will be given the option of choosing their quarantine facility from the list of hotels and lodges. With the government doing away with the option of home quarantine and each booking of hotel rooms coming for a minimum of 14 days, the compulsory facility quarantine has provided much-needed solace to the hotel industry in the tourist destination of Mysuru, which saw no business for almost two months.
Though Mysuru has about 9,500 hotel rooms, about 2,500 rooms have been enlisted for quarantine for now. Many hotel owners were wary of letting their premises to quarantine people, fearing that tourists will steer clear of their properties in future. Already, several hotels had come under pressure from residents of the locality against quarantining travellers. “But, we have managed to convince many of the hotel owners to let out their premises for quarantining,” said Mr. Gowda.
Free accommodation
Janardhan, Deputy Director of Tourism, Mysuru, said the government has set aside free accommodation for migrant labourers returning to their hometown, and others who are unable to pay for hotel accommodation. Accommodation has been set aside for 100 persons each in the hostels of Morarji Desai Schools at Varakodu and Hosakete on the outskirts of Mysuru. “If needed, we will arrange more such facilities for free accommodation,” he added.
