COVID-19 surge in Goa: 20% cancellations in hotel bookings in Goa amid COVID-19 outbreak, tourism industry player says

Goa’s tourism industry is currently registering 15-20% of cancellations of hotel reservations after a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases in the coastal state, an industry representative said on Wednesday.

The state reported 592 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with the positivity rate remaining high at 13.89%, according to the health department.

Following the increase in COVID-19 cases, tourists have started canceling their visit to the state, said Goa Travel and Tourism Association (TTAG) chairman Nilesh Shah.

“Cancellations of hotel reservations are between 15% and 20%,” as people avoid travel these days due to COVID-19 restrictions, he said.

The tourism industry adheres to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and all employees in the industry have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, he said.

Shah said they expect the situation to improve by next month.

“Experts have predicted that the COVID-19 numbers will peak in the next seven to ten days and then decline,” he said.

He also said that the current surge in COVID-19 cases “should not be attributed solely to the rush in Goa for New Year’s celebrations” as the rise in viral infections is also seen in other parts of the world. countries and the world.