The two days awareness and training workshop for COVID-19 preparedness in hotels and restaurants being organized for owners concluded on Friday at The Oberoi Cecil Shimla. The program was designed with a vision to educate and build confidence amongst the hoteliers and restaurateurs of Shimla. The leading hospitality brand The Oberoi Group that runs three hotels in Shimla played a major role in giving training to the stakeholders through there highly trained staff.

The presentation was given to the participants highlighting basic requirements for the implementation of standard operating procedures issued by the State Government. The awareness campaign was a grand success with over 100 participants from hotels, Restaurants, B&B, and homestay units participated in this awareness campaign. The objective of the awareness campaign is to prepare the hotels and restaurants to provide safe and hygienic accommodation &food to the tourists visiting Shimla post-COVID. The safety and hygiene essentials like disinfectants, equipment were also exhibited by the local suppliers for the knowledge of participants. The tourism industry Stakeholders Association is intending to organize training and awareness programs for managerial and other staff of the hotels and restaurants in a phased manner.

Shimla has become the first tourist destination in the country that has taken a proactive step to educate the stakeholders about the safety norms before the revival of tourism in the state. Mr. Anil Walia advisor TISHA said the tourism industry in Himachal is at a grinding halt since March 2020. Many tourists want to come to Shimla for a change. We urge the Government to allow restricted entry to tourists with confirmed hotel reservation into the state for the hotels which have adopted the SOP's issued by the Himachal Government and are fully prepared to offer safe and hygienic accommodation to the tourists. The Tourism industry is looking forward to reopening of state borders for the Tourists by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The Government in the first unlock opened hotels for local guests however in the second phase of unlocking government should allow tourists from other states to visit Shimla. Anil Bhardwaj Senior Vice President said the opening of doors for tourists coming from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and other cities except for the 13 cities which have been marked as COVID High cities by the District Administration. This can give a start to the Tourism Industry and we are sure when the borders will open the hotel industry may start getting 25 to 30 % occupancy. Tourism Industry stakeholders Association is thankful to The Oberoi Cecil; Wildflower Hall and Clarkes for encouraging the hotel owners of Shimla to prepare themselves for providing safe stay to the tourists coming to Himachal.