As the government imposed lockdowns are eased across the country, life will inch towards its new sanitized and socially distant normal. But the question in the minds of the best hotels in Rajasthan is when do we throw open the doors to the travelers? Here are some of our thoughts on this million dollar question:
Concern 1: When will the tourist attractions open?
There are several places to visit in Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh which attract tourists from all over the country and the world. To name a few, we have the Ranakpur Jain Temple, Kumbhalgarh Fort and the Leopard Safaris. Until and unless these tourist sites and excursions are opened, the Ranakpur hotels may have to remain shut. It would be difficult to get sufficient footfall of tourists to justify the expenses of running a hotel without these tourist attractions to drive traffic to Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh.
Concern 2: When will road travel between the states be allowed without delays & obstructions?
Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh are located in the southern part of Rajasthan with the closest large city being Ahmedabad, located about 350 km away. In fact, the Gujarat border is just 160 km from Ranakpur. With such close proximity to Gujarat, it is no surprise that Gujarati’s love travelling to the Ranakpur hotels & resorts for short family holidays over weekends. With the current state of border politics between states, will a traveller driving from Gujarat to Rajasthan be stopped at the border? Will he/she have to share documents such as a medical certificate, travel history and undergo health checks at the border just because he wants to go for a short 2 day holiday with his family to Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh? Without clarity on these concerns, any traveller would have reservations before starting a road journey.
One might suggest that the resorts in Rajasthan should focus on the travellers within their states for business. The hotels in Ranakpur would gladly welcome travelers from Rajasthan, but would this movement be enough for hotels to sustain their expenses?
Concern 3: When will public transport such as plane/train/bus be allowed?
The places to visit in Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh attract people from all over the world. Domestic travellers from distant parts of the country also visit these parts of Rajasthan to experience the rich history & culture. For these distant travellers to get to Rajasthan, all modes of public transportation have to be open. Although, flights & trains have been restarted in some limited capacity with several restrictions & precautions in place, do you think a newly wed couple would want to go through the multiple screenings, health check ups while wearing full body PPE and board a train or a plain to arrive at Udaipur airport or Falna railway station (33 km from Mana Ranakpur). As public & private buses have yet to be restarted in their full capacity in Rajasthan, how will travelers arriving at airports and railway stations reach places such as Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh which are 100 km away. A taxi for such distances may not be affordable for all!
Concern 4: Will an entire family be allowed to travel in a car without maintaining social distancing norms?
As per current guidelines, only 3 to 4 people are allowed to travel in one car. When will families be able to fill up their car’s to capacity and travel playing games on the road? When will we see a minibus with 4 generations of the same family pull up into our hotels in Rajasthan without breaking any rules/guidelines? Couples and smaller families may not face these obstacles but can hotels manage to survive with limited business?
Concern 5: For the longer drives, will the Dhaba’s & the roadside infrastructure be open?
Imagine going on a road trip without being able to enjoy paratha’s and tea at local Dhaba’s! What if your child has to use the bathroom on the highway? On a more serious note, what if your vehicle suffers a breakdown and you need to find a mechanic? How comfortable will travelers be taking on long road journey’s unless they have comforting answers about these questions?
Concern 7: Are the hotels ready to receive the guests?
How much confidence can the resorts in Rajasthan give to travellers who are calling them to enquire about potential trips & stays with them? How will the guests react when we tell them that the swimming pool is closed or that the game rooms cannot be used? How will the guest feel about the multiple screening and health declarations they have to give when they arrive at the hotel and on each day of their stay?
How willing are the travellers to abide by the rules which the best resorts in Rajasthan are laying down for their safety and for the safety of their staff? The new cleaning protocol’s are in place, the sanitizers have been placed in all imaginable areas, our staff will greet you with masks and gloves and all other precautions are being taken behind the scenes and in front of you as has been advised by FSSAI, MoHFW, MHA etc. But with all these changes, will our guests still feel that they are coming to their favorite hotels & resorts in Rajasthan?
Concern 8: What about the fear factor?
Lastly, how far are we able to overcome the fear which this virus has instilled in us over the last few months? Will we be ignoring the health of our family’s by taking this holiday? Will the hotel we travel to be safe and sanitized? Should we take our elders and young ones along for the long weekend or should we leave them behind keeping in mind their vulnerability to this illness? Are we travelling to a destination which has the medical infrastructure to take care of us in the worst case scenario?
Even though they are not under our direct control, these concerns keep us awake at night as they will have a lasting impact on the guests’ journey leading up to our resorts in Rajasthan.
Once we have a positive answer to the above concerns, we will surely see people travelling again!