Tourism activities to resume in Banjar valley from September 5

Our Correspondent

KULLU, AUGUST 19

Facing huge losses due to the lockdown imposed following coronavirus outbreak, various associations and stakeholders of the tourism industry in the Banjar valley, at a meeting, have decided to resume tourism activities from September 5.

Hotel owners said there were certain hitches in resuming the operations. The SOPs were complicated and certain relaxations should be allowed. Many local women worked in hotels and return to their homes in the evening. It was not possible for them to stay in the units they worked, as was mandatory under the SOPs. They also said employing new people would mean that local women would lose their jobs.

Panki Sood, an entrepreneur, said they had started taking bookings from September 5. A meeting would be held tomorrow to decide the nitty-gritties. The demand to settle the issues would be raised accordingly.

There are various scenic places in the Banjar valley like the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), the Unesco World Heritage Site.

Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mountain ranges, forests, historic buildings and temples are the major tourist attractions.