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Tour operators in Pune told to provide traveller foreign trip list of past one month

There are at least 200 tour operators in Pune district who will submit information about travellers following which these passengers will be screened, said divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar

Updated on: Mar 13, 2020, 16:34:58 IST
Hindustan Times, Pune | By
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The district administration has asked city tour operators to submit details of travellers who undertook foreign trips in the past one month. There are at least 200 tour operators in Pune district who will submit information about travellers following which these passengers will be screened, said divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar.

A man covers his face with a mask in the premises of Naidu Hospital in the city. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)
A man covers his face with a mask in the premises of Naidu Hospital in the city. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

Mhaisekar and district collector Naval Kishore Ram briefed the tour operators at a meeting held in the city on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), the organisation that has 1,400 members across the nation and 440 in Pune, said that the virus scare has led to almost 90 per cent tour cancellations.

Vijay Mandalik, a tour operator, said, “Pune alone sees around 25,000 travellers every year for domestic and international travels during summer holidays. Cancelling tours result into monetary losses to tourists, airlines, hotels and suppliers at the destination points will charge for cancellations in the absence of government travel advisory to restrict travel.” said Surendra Kulkarni, another member of the ADTOI.

“We appeal to tourists to wait and watch. If the situation improves, they can travel without fear, and if it worsens, with government issuing directives to airlines and hotels to forgo cancellation charges, it will save tourists’ money,” added Kulkarni.

Surendra Kulkarni, a member of the ADTOI, said, “There is a lot of money involved in tours and it is hard for common people to bear these losses. Same applies to us too as we have to pre-book all the necessary airlines, hotels and travel suppliers, which is making it difficult for us to refund the amounts.”