For a moment, life stood still for Carolina D’Sa when she heard about the lockdown being imposed across the nation. A first of its kind, she didn’t know what to expect in the coming days. Worse still, she was ‘stranded’ at a homestay in Nainital, Uttarakhand, far away from her home in Pondicherry, where she was vacationing with her friend Neville.
Like Carolina, there were thousands of travellers and tourists, some alone others with families, that got stuck at far off ‘exotic’ locations, miles away from their homes. “Had it not been for the generous host who let us stay in their abode during the lockdown, we would really have no place to go,” reminisces documentary film-maker Carolina. With most hotels shutting down after the imposition of the lockdown, most travellers like Carolina found refuge in the local, independent businesses such as Homestays, Bed & Breakfast, Guest Houses, unbranded Budget Hotels, even Hostels.
Homestays ‘rescued’ stranded travellers
“We were fortunate that we were already ‘living’ with a family at the Homestay the family started a couple of years ago. Staying with a local family made the lockdown period tolerable and affordable for Carolina and me,” says Neville. The duo was travelling through Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh undertaking a preliminary research for their upcoming documentary series. “We know so many of our friends and colleagues who were left stranded as the big hotels they were staying in shut down during the lockdown,” says Carolina.
“Tourism is a significant variable in the Indian economy. The industry contributes 10 per cent to the country’s GDP and has taken a huge hit due to the COVID-19 situations,” says Chennai-based market analyst T Vijayan. According to travel vlogger Sushmita Bose, “During the pandemic I read about and heard of several instances where Homestays, B&B opened their doors for stranded travellers and tourists.”
Low-end hospitality a formidable option
In India, the chain and luxury standalone hotels constitute only five per cent (1.4 lakh rooms) of the total rooms available. The remaining 95 per cent comprise unbranded budget hotels, Guest Houses, Bed & Breakfast and Homestays. Business Line estimates the hotel industry is staring at a loss of Rs 620 crore due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
The Deki family who offer their home for tourists in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh also hosted a few bagpackers during the lockdown. “How could we just tell them to leave? It’s not right. In times like these, we have to help each other. The least we could do was provide a place to live. The fear of contracting the virus from a tourist persisted and some of our neighbours objected too but we managed somehow,” recalls owner Sonam Deki.
And, not just in Arunachal Pradesh, the fear psychosis permeated the nation especially in COVID hotspots like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, etc. The tourists and the residents were equally scared in trying to figure out ways to deal with the situation. It was only when the government lifted restrictions on inter-state travel and resumed limited operations of the domestic flights, during the phase-wise ‘unlock’ – were the stranded tourists able to return to their homes.
Informal stays take a beating
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc in the ‘informal’ hospitality sector and the damage is here to stay. Guesthouses and homestays in Kullu and Manali are still awaiting guests, post the lifting of the lockdown. This, after the Himachal government allowed the hotel industry to operate starting first week of July. In Manali alone, there are 1,200 hotels and 800 homestays, guesthouses and cottages. “The businesses that shut down in March have not seen any activity yet. We’re not sure what to expect in the near future. With each passing day, it’s becoming more difficult to sustain ourselves,” says Manali-based guesthouse manager Krishna Negi.
The few places that did resume operations after the ‘unlock’ are unable to meet even operational expenses due to the colossal reduction in the tourist footfall. “In some zones, the village panchayats have prohibited entry of any outsider fearing COVID. How will those businesses survive?” questions a worried Krishna Negi.
Workations may help recover tourism
There is a slice of hope for the budget stay providers as the tourism industry is witnessing a new ‘breed’ of vacationers, the workation-seekers. With most companies and organisations encouraging work-from-home operations, many people are now opting to set up base in ‘exotic’ locations. “Today, even in the remotest corner of the country, where WiFi is available. All you need is a laptop and a smartphone,” says Hyderabad-based IT consultant Dinesh Raheja.
Dinesh was “itching to leave Hyderabad” and took the first opportunity to leave the city “to set up base at Coorg.” “I am a nomad… I cannot stay in one place for more than a month. So, the lockdown really took a toll on me. As soon as the government relaxed the restrictions, I took off to my most-favourite holiday destination. I have been working from Coorg for almost a month now,” explains Dinesh. Delhi-based travel consultant Shalini Raj feels, “Travelling post-COVID may not be the same. Homestays are becoming more popular amongst people who are planning a staycation.”
Bed and Breakfast adopt new guidelines
The B&B segment of the ‘informal’ hospitality industry is also bracing for the new normal. “We are following the norms laid down by the government in the accommodation units and in the B&B facilities…mainly ensuring contactless room service,” says Goa-based B&B manager Joel Fernandes.
The new protocols include prohibition of entry of visitors in guests’ rooms, frequent disinfection of common areas and frequently-used touch points, frequent sanitisation of furniture and toilets, wearing face masks and face shields by the staff and tourists at all times, sanitising rooms after every departure, non-allotment of room for 24 hours after the previous departure, functional CCTV cameras covering all areas of the facility, in case of transportation use of isolators to separate drivers from passengers, etc.
“It’s a difficult task to maintain all protocols and follow guidelines at all times but not impossible. We counsel our staff every day to ensure all rules are followed. It’s important to maintain safety of the guests,” maintains Joel.
Enhanced protocols for local hosts
In July 2020, Airbnb announced the launch of ‘Enhanced Cleaning Protocol for its local hosts in the country’ to support a systematic recovery of the industry. The initiative comprises a set of standardised protocols for ‘cleaning and sanitization for homestays in the country and is aimed at providing guidance to hosts offering small-scale accommodations’.
The guidelines include a ‘step-by-step cleaning handbook designed for everyday hosts.’ Hosts who attest to follow the programme will ‘receive a special badge’ on their listing, making it easy for guests ‘to identify and book listings’ that follow the homestay industry’s most robust set of cleaning standards.
Airbnb senior executive Amanpreet Bajaj says, “With the health and safety of our guests and hosts in India top of mind, these Enhanced Cleaning Protocols are the need of the hour in the sector. These measures are aimed at restoring traveller confidence and towards driving the systematic recovery of communities through the economic impact of tourism and travel. We are working to bring our hosts` global best practices backed by expert counsel and medical guidance from professionals who are at the forefront of the industry. We strongly believe that this can form an industry-wide standard.”
In the post-COVID world, the smaller, less crowded and local lodging options will present a tough competition to branded and chain hotels. The homestays and BnBs are here to stay!