Hotels see more cancellations all over again | Economic Times

Hoteliers and online travel agencies (OTAs) said the second wave of Covid-19 and resulting lockdowns and curbs will lead to a slump in bookings in the near future. They said cancellations have been coming in from travellers from states such as Maharashtra and Delhi following the announcement of new curbs.India’s biggest OTA MakeMyTrip said the second wave of Covid-19 is definitely having a ‘knock-on impact’ and it foresees a transitory slump in travel bookings in the near term. “While there is an understandable dip in leisure travel sentiments as uncertainty around the virus returns, a faster vaccine rollout should also have a bearing on overall sentiments in the coming weeks,” a company spokesperson said.Indian Hotels Company said Maharashtra was witnessing more cancellations and loss of business currently and this was also due to the restrictions in the banqueting and wedding numbers in the state.“Tourism and hospitality has been struggling to survive for over an year now and new restrictions are going to negatively impact the business further. We understand that safety and security is most important but allowing certain activities to continue and impose lockdown on others is difficult for an industry that is already suffering,” an IHCL spokesperson said.Industry tracker STR said travel and lockdown restrictions are bound to affect the accommodation industry. “Mumbai had seen some early signs of corporate demand coming back during the end of February with airport hotels outperforming the city hotels. But with the Maharashtra lockdown and travel restrictions in place, a temporary reversal in this trend is likely,” said Vidhi Godiawala, business development manager, Central and South Asia at STR.