Omicron Terror: Indian Guest Canceling Booking
POKHARA: DEC. 22 – Bookings for about 1,200 rooms at the five-star Pokhara Grand Hotel have recently been canceled. A group of Indian guests had booked a hotel room. However, due to the threat of a new variant of the coronavirus variant Omicron, the bookings were canceled by the guests who had booked in advance saying that they would not be able to come. The hotel said that the process of canceling the booking of guests is still going on.
Up to 100 rooms of the same group were booked by Indian guests at the only five-star Pokhara Grand Hotel in Pokhara. However, those guests who are preparing to come in the next few days have canceled the trip. Hotel officials have said that the booking series has been canceled.
The tourism sector, which was burdened by the coronavirus infection, was relieved due to Indian and domestic visitors. Accordingly, the number of Indian visitors has been increasing for the last one and a half months. However, the new variant of the coronavirus has scared the Indian guests out of the tour.
Kamal Sherchan, senior market manager of the hotel, informed that the hotel booking of a large group of Indian guests has been canceled. “Bookings for about 1,200 rooms have been canceled,” Sherchan said. New bookings have stopped coming. ‘
According to Sherchan, Indian visitors often come in groups. In the same group, guests were coming to about a hundred rooms. Lately, many Indian guests have started coming in groups. He said that the group which had canceled the booking now showed the reason to Omicron.
“Omicron is also feared in India. The number of infected people is also increasing. That is why the guests are afraid to come, ‘said Sherchan. However, the booking has been canceled saying that the guest could not come.
There have been no tourists from third countries for almost two years in the tourist area affected by the coronavirus infection. The business was booming due to internal and a small number of Indian visitors. However, he said that Omicron had abruptly broken the ‘chain’ of the arrival of Indian guests. “Some countries have banned Omicron from traveling for various reasons.
Some places in India have also been tightened after Omicron was found, ‘he said. He said that despite the threat of infection, the movement of Indian guests in large groups was stopped. “Currently, the main source of tourism in Nepal is Indian visitors. But, the original source has been pushed, ‘he said.
The booking made by the Indian guest at another hotel Landmark has also been canceled. According to Landmark operator Om Prakash Pandey, four groups in Kolkata have already canceled their hotel bookings. Now only one group is left to book. There were 50 Indian guests in each group. They had booked to spend eight nights in Nepal while visiting Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan and Lumbini.
The guests had booked a landmark hotel in Pokhara for three nights. He said that the plan to return to India on the ninth day after entering from Raxaul was canceled. According to Pandey, the booking of canceled guests was for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“Indian visitors are reluctant to go out due to the fear of Omicron. In a small group, guests are still coming with their families. However, those who have joined the group have canceled, ‘Pandey said, adding that the possibility of re-sacking by Omicron has increased due to the relief given by the Indian guests. He said that the tourism sector of Pokhara was relieved due to Indian and some internal guests.
Hari Sharma, the manager of another hotel Pokhara Village Resort, said that the Indian group is not interested in visiting Nepal at present. Indian guests are welcome to enter Nepal. Besides, the guests do not want to come now due to the fear of Omicron. “The arrival of the Indian guest made us very excited. But now they are wandering around, ‘Sharma said.’ Instead, they are questioning how comfortable the journey is in Nepal. ‘
According to him, even at the Nepal entry point, Indian visitors are not comfortable now. Guests are forced to show a negative report by testing Corona’s PCR. Some city visitors have already spent 72 hours of PCR coming to the port. He said that he was not comfortable because of that.
‘The hassle of entering Nepal has also spread a bad message among Indian guests. Apart from that, due to the increasing number of Omicron patients in India, the visitors have not been able to go out safely due to its fear, ‘Sharma said. He said that the activity due to Indian visitors has suddenly decreased.
Roshan Khawas, general manager of Fistel Lodge, also said that Omicron has had an impact on the arrival of Indian tourists. He said that Indian guests have been the main source of Nepal in recent times and recent visitors from neighboring countries have started getting scared of coming to Nepal.
‘Even now, sporadic Indian guests are coming. But, their arrival is not in the group, only the guests from nearby cities have come individually, ‘said Khawas. According to him, until a few days ago, the arrival of Indian guests was also in a large group. But now it is limited to individuals and families, he said.
According to Rajesh Pahari, who is also the treasurer of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), the Indian guests who wanted to come to Nepal have been shocked since the negative report of PCR was made mandatory last year. Apart from that, the fear of Omicron also makes the guests reluctant to go for a walk. He also said that his February booking has been canceled.
“Even the guests who are preparing to come within this month are confused about what to do. The guests in the family group are in a dilemma, ‘the watchman said,’ but the February booking has been canceled. ‘
He said that there were 230 Indian guests in three groups in February and their bookings had been canceled. The canceled guests were from Maharashtra.
According to the guards, guests from Border City and West Bengal come to Nepal on New Year’s Eve. After that, he is a guest from Gujarat, Maharashtra and South Indian region. The guard said that the guests who wanted to come from far away started canceling the booking.
