Close on the heels of some panchayat bodies passing ‘oral’ orders restricting tourists’ entry to sites in their limits, resorts, homestays and hotels in Kodagu have been told not to accept bookings from tourists hereafter until further orders.
The order was passed by Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy on Tuesday. The diktat comes after some high-end resorts, oblivious of surging COVID-19 cases, accepted bookings, permitting guests mostly from Bengaluru and neighbouring Kerala to stay in their properties.
The order comes amidst reports of tourists being shooed away in some districts recently by the locals, blaming them for spreading the contagion.
In fact, the Kodagu Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association and the Homestays’ Association had announced a 21-day shutdown of the properties on June 25 after cases surged in the district. But, some resorts continued to accept bookings and engage guests, arguing that no official order had been passed, a stakeholder said.
Ms. Joy said the diktat had been passed as a precautionary measure in view of the public health safety.
The hospitality sector had been asked not to accept fresh bookings – online and offline - from inter-State, inter-district and international travellers until further notice. The tourists who had already checked-in should not be forced to vacate and allowed to stay until their booking period. The booking period should not be extended and advance bookings should be cancelled after informing the visitors before their arrival.
However, people visiting the district for medical and emergency reasons have been exempted and rooms can be allotted to them after collecting their details besides informing the local police.
Ms. Joy warned of action under Section 188 IPC if resorts and homestays flout her order.
Kodagu had not reopened its tourist sites after Unlock 1.0, perhaps to discourage visitors amidst the crisis.
Association President B.R. Nagendra Prasad welcomed the ban on hotel bookings but said no tourist who visited Kodagu recently had tested positive. “Public health safety is a priority for us and therefore we took a voluntary step of closing down our properties. But some resorts continued to operate, permitting check-ins from tourists.”
Hathur villagers had reportedly urged tourists and inter-district travellers to abandon their travel plans to sites around the village for two months to contain the spread of infection.
A senior government official said, “I have heard of such appeals made by some villages after COVID-19 cases spiralled. But whoever visited the sites had not been forced to leave. With rain setting in, the number of visitors to Kodagu has dropped sharply. There is no need to panic.”
