Small hotelier(s): Brink of extinction

If an ‘enclosed’ ‘indoor’ wedding of 150 is allowed, then allowing a couple or parents with small children to travel out of a province seems reasonable – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara 

I do understand the severity of the pandemic and I do understand that quick fixes can end up being a bigger mess in few weeks. However, I would like to just highlight what we (myself specifically) are going through. And hope that someone can help. I assume that for big hoteliers the situation must be even more dire. 

The problem

First things first: Provincial restrictions means zero income for us. I will not question the decision why provincial restrictions are needed but just so you know, provincial restrictions mean zero income for us. Period. 

This is the third wave. And I have already fully exhausted most of my savings, reserves, loans, any other means in the first and the second wave. It goes without saying that having to face a third zero-income situation within 13 months is beyond words. 

At the start of the third wave, I made a calculated estimate that within two months, the situation will improve. Because even in India, State of Maharashtra (Mumbai) and Delhi the world’s worst-affected were relaxed after two months. So, I used my very last option to pay up reduced salaries and bills using my credit card withdrawals. And I simply can’t do anything after this month. 

Having to let go of staff (which I have already for few) is a very easy business decision to make. I will make that in a heartbeat. However, it’s easier said than done. These people have been with me for many years and I know their families, so asking them to go without pay will be a very heavy emotional toll for me. Besides business will not be closed forever, you may have to start may be in one week or even six weeks’ time. If I let go of everyone, who will run it when we start again?

It’s now two and a half months since provincial restrictions were introduced. 

Possible solution

I’m glad that the vaccinations are going very well and I do hear the plans to reopen the country in September. However, knowing what has been happening around the world, these decisions may have to be reversed overnight due to unforeseen situations. Thailand, Japan Olympics, and UK can offer enough examples where plans went sour.

Please consider lifting provincial restrictions. If an ‘enclosed’ ‘indoor’ wedding of 150 is allowed, then allowing a couple or parents with small children to travel out of a province seems reasonable to me. I’m sure somebody creative can figure out a way to disallow ‘group travel’ and still let couples and parents with small children travel. Exact same way that restrictions were placed on weddings and gatherings. 

Needless to say, that moment something is relaxed lightly, people and the businesses alike will misuse them. In fact, we have seen it already in weddings. I really don’t know the answer to that but once again given the relaxation on weddings, and given the number of people dependent on this industry, it still sounds reasonable to me. I do understand these may be practically difficult to implement but please try to do something for the sake of our lives. 

I hope and pray that by September the things will be better and we will have an amazing tourism success story. As explained earlier, I’m worried whether I could stay afloat until even then. This is just to pay the salaries and bills. Paying loans is a different discussion altogether. Let us live today so that we can take that discussion in two months’ time. 

Afterword

If it’s any consolation, backlash on ‘every’ COVID decision made and political attacks and social media memes are not only happening here. Even in UK practically every decision is made fun of and ridiculed. In UK now it’s called ‘pingdemic’. As you may know from 19 July in UK, all COVID restrictions are removed! But if you are a close contact you have to self-isolate for 14 days. So, if you are, then you get a ‘ping’ on your COVID app asking you to isolate. And with numbers hitting 50,000 COVID positives daily few days ago, people are getting these pings left, right and centre. There are some who got the ping four times within just three months. Because it’s inevitable for some staff (e.g.: restaurant staff) to be a close contact ever so often. These have been ridiculed heavily as we speak. No system is perfect. 

(I wish to be anonymous – but my mystery is not so anonymous.)