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Ludhiana hotels bear the brunt as reservations nosedive
According to hoteliers, the occupancy rate has witnessed a drop of 50% to 60%
The impact of coronavirus outbreak can be seen in the hospitality industry which has been severely hit owing to a sharp fall in occupancy rate in just last few days.
According to hoteliers, the occupancy rate has witnessed a drop of 50% to 60%. Moreover, rumours surrounding non-vegetarian food have also curtailed the footfall at restaurants.
Expressing concerns over ban on mass gatherings, the hoteliers said while their businesses were already going through a tough phase, the existing bookings have also being cancelled.
There are around 170 hotels in the city and all of them, encompassing budget hotels to luxury ones, are struggling to find clients.
On Monday, most of the hotels wore a deserted look as besides the staff at the help desk and gates, no one else could be seen on the premises.
Vikrant Munjral, owner of Munjral hotel near bus stand, said there were around nine rooms in his hotel and only four were occupied.
“Earlier, the hotel used to be fully occupied, but now it is difficult to find clients,” he rued.
Manjit Singh, owner of Nagpal Regency and president of Hotels and Restaurants’ Association, Ludhiana, said employees of a private firm were to arrive here from Chennai to attend a seminar and they had already booked rooms in his hotel.
“All those bookings now stand cancelled,” he added.
He said the entire hospitality sector was staring at a downfall of at least 50% in the business.
“Ludhiana, being an industrial hub, attracts many foreigners and people from different states, who come here to ink pacts with manufacturers. Now, the fear of Covid-19, along with restrictions on travel, has put dents in the hospitality business,” he added.
Manjit said the restaurants, especially those serving non-vegetarian food, have recorded a decline in footfall by 60%.
Bhupinder Singh, owner of Basant Group, said as the residents had been avoiding social gathering, the number of kitty parties also came down.
“Though the corona threat has not affected the footfall in some of our outlets where we serve only vegetarian food, out restaurant specialising in non-vegetarian cuisines has seen a 30% drop in turnout,” he added.
