Most hotels in Digha, Mandarmani & Sankarpur report over 50% occupancy

Kolkata: With less than two weeks to go before the Durga Puja, the three popular sea beach destinations at Digha, Mandarmani and Sankarpur is witnessing a good response from tourists with over 50 per cent hotel rooms booked already.

The hoteliers are optimistic that the occupancy will go up further and during the Pujas there will be at least over 80 per cent occupancy .

"We have opened up 100 per cent hotels in Digha and Mandarmani from August 14. Since then the hotels

have been witnessing tourist flow. However, advance

bookings have been quite

satisfying with 50 per cent bookings already made," said Bipradas Chakraborty, Joint Secretary of Digha Sankarpur Hotelier's Association.

Hotels in Digha have started opening up in phases since June with initially 30 per cent of the hotels — primarily those that are located on the side of the main road being opened up.

In the second phase 50

percent of the hotels were opened up.

In the month of June and July a handful of hoteliers who had opened up faced objections from the local people and had to close down their hotels.

The local people were apprehensive that tourist inflow will result in spread of COVID -19 virus. There are 1000 odd hotels in Digha.

"Hoteliers have been directed to follow safety protocols like checking of body temperature with thermal gun and sanitisation of the tourists when they check in. After a room is vacated and the same is occupied by the second group at least half an hour is being taken for thorough sanitization of the room. Bookings are being done for every alternate room and the middle room is being kept vacant for safety protocol," said another association member.

Tourists are being asked to preferably have food inside their own room to avoid unnecessary gathering at the eating space.