Where are the guests?

With all the negative news around the Games, tourists are cancelling their bed and breakfast bookings.

As the Capital prepares itself with all the uncertainty that surrounds The Commonwealth Games (CWG) in October, the specially launched Bed and Breakfast (B&B) scheme, under which guests get breakfast and overnight lodging facilities in hotels, residences and motels, is facing the heat. Many B&B owners in the capital are worried, as the number of bookings and queries have drastically decreased.

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“Till now, we have no bookings for the Games. I think many tourists have backed out after all the news of Delhi not being prepared for the Games. We were really looking forward for this opportunity, but now we are not so sure,” says Renu Dayal of New Delhi Bed and Breakfast in Vasant Kunj.

“We had two to three bookings for CWG through a travel agent, but now, they are telling us to either wait or cancel their bookings,” says Shahsi Gulati of Isha Vasya, Saket.

There are more than 1000 authorised B&B places in Delhi, which have been divided into two categories: Silver and Gold. While the prices for the Silver category fall under R 3,000, those that come under Gold are for R 5000.

“Initially, there were many queries regarding the prices and facilities, but now, the enquiries have declined significantly. We do have bookings for the month of October, but they are corporate clients who have nothing to do with CWG,” says Aradhna Lanba of On the House in Safdarjung Enclave.