20 per cent cancellations in Goa hotel bookings amid COVID-19 surge, says tourism industry stakeholder

Goa’s tourism industry is currently seeing 15 to 20 per cent cancellations in hotel bookings after a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the coastal state, an industry representative said on Wednesday.

The state on Tuesday reported 592 fresh cases of COVID-19, with the positivity rate remaining high at 13.89 per cent, as per the heath department.

In the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases, tourists have started cancelling their visit to the state, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah said.

“The hotel booking cancellations are between 15 and 20 per cent,” as people are avoiding travel these days due to COVID-19-related restrictions, he said.

The tourism industry is adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and all those employed in the sector have taken both the doses of vaccine against COVID-19, he said. Shah said they expect the situation to improve by next month.

“Experts have predicted that the COVID-19 numbers will peak in the next seven to ten days and then come down,” he said. He also said that the present surge in COVID-19 cases “should not be solely attributed to the rush in Goa for the New Year celebrations” as the rise in viral infections is also being witnessed in other parts of the country and the world.