Chail hotels to be shut till March 31

Solan, March 18

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The Chail Hoteliers Association today decided to close all hotels and homestays in the area in view of the Covid scare as influx of tourists was a big health risk.

The association has around 25 hotels and 18 homestays. The decision of the members resulted in several bookings being cancelled as panic arose among customers.

Devinder Verma, president of the association, said the staff had volunteered to help the state government in dealing with the epidemic. The staff has been given leave and the hotels will resume business once the Central government lifts the health emergency. Verma said if any Covid case surfaces in the area, it would defame the hotel industry and tourists would be skeptical to visit even after the scare is over.

The situation at Kasauli was, however, different and most of the hotels were yet to repay their loans. “Recurring expenditure to maintain the hotel and its staff has to be borne by the hotel management so it is not possible to shut them altogether though more than 40 per cent cancellations were being faced in Kasauli”, said Rocky Chimney, vice-president, Kasauli Hotel Association. — TNS