The government of the Indian State Goa announced that it will be opening for tourists from 2 July, and that around 250 hotels will be permitted to start operations. These establishments, which had applied to the government signaling their readiness to start will only be allowed to accept guests with prior bookings.
While social distancing and strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be enforced in the tourism sector, action will be taken against violators. Guests have two options once they reach Goa — produce a COVID-negative certificate from an ICMR-approved lab issued less than 48 hours before arrival, or pay Rs 2,000 and get a test done in Goa.
Hotels permitted to operate will have an isolation facility where guests can wait until the rest result is declared. The issue of opening hotels in Goa has been contentious even within the state cabinet as COVID cases continue to rise in Goa and the state reported its fourth death on 1 July.
Tourism is a major revenue earner for the Goa government. From 6.8 lakh domestic tourists in 1985 to over 70 lakh Indians marking their presence in the state in 2019, the arrival of domestic tourists has provided a more than a satisfactory safety net for Goa’s tourism industry.
However, even as hotels reopen, restaurants will only be open for takeaways. Bars will continue to remain shut. A senior official said that hotels are required to self-declare that they will abide by regulations laid down by the government, and only then will they be given permission. However, physical verification of whether these conditions are met will be carried out later, he said.
