Hospitality sector back to square one as cases surge

Strap: Sore at restrictions on gathering, night curfew; Accuses govt of no support

BQ

On verge of closure

The hospitality sector is again on the verge of closure. We are struggling to survive. Around 3,000 eateries and restaurants closed down last year due to lockdown. If the situation doesn’t improve, we will again see more eateries and restaurants being shut

Satish Arora, president, punjab hotel, restaurant association

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 28

A fresh surge in Covid cases across the state has brought the hospitality sector back to square one.

With the rollout of the vaccine, the sector was hopeful of business returning to normal, but with the cases rising and even employees of some private hotels also testing positive, restaurants and eating joints are facing decline in footfall.

Punjab Hotel, Restaurant Association president Satish Arora said: “The hospitality sector is passing through a difficult phase for the past one year. Earlier, lockdown hit them hard, then bird flu scare and now restrictions on gathering and night curfew in around 10 districts is affecting the business hard.”

Further, he claimed that hotels and restaurants had high fixed expenses, which they had to bear even if the hotel didn’t work. “We are also disappointed at no support from the Centre and the state government. We sent representation to both the governments repeatedly, but to no avail as no one has come to support us to date,” he said.

For weddings and social gatherings, permission has been granted for only 100 persons. The period from March to May, which is the peak season for weddings, has started witnessing cancellations. The ancillary businesses like catering, decoration, photography and video shooting, music and DJ, lighting, bar tenders, flower decoration and others have also been hit hard and are suffering losses.

Arora said: “Lavish resorts and banquets have been affected badly as big fat weddings have dried up in the state, upsetting the entire event industry.”

The present scenario is a far cry from the “big fat” Indian wedding replete with thousands of guests and multi-day revelry with cocktail parties, live bands, and elaborate feasts held at exciting locales.

Arora said: “The hospitality sector is again on the verge of closure and is struggling to survive. Due to lockdown last year, around 3,000 eateries and restaurants closed down and now if the situation does not improve, we will see more eateries and restaurants closing down.”

Experts believe that the distressed hospitality sector would again face adverse implications, leading to loss to the national exchequer, large-scale bankruptcy and unemployment.