After an unprecedented lockdown that lasted almost 3 months, Goa will open its doors to domestic tourists from today. Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has said that over 250 hotels in Goa will open its door to tourists after a complete shutdown in operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the life as we know it to a standstill.
If you are planning a much-earned vacation to Goa, it is important you know what's open and what's not. What guidelines you must follow while you are in Goa and what are the prerequisites for going to Goa while the threat of coronavirus still looms large.
Guidelines to follow
- Tourists have to carry a COVID-19 negative certificate within a stipulated 48-hour window or get mandatorily tested in the state.
- Tourists will be sent to the respective hotels where they have their bookings. They will be tested for COVID-19 in the hotels and will have to remain inside their rooms until the test results are out.
- Patients who test positive will have two options. Either they return to their home states or stay back in Goa and get treated for COVID-19.
- Hotels will have to be pre-booked by tourists. Only the hotels that have been given tourism department's approval will be allowed to take bookings.
- Bookings will STRICTLY not be entertained for hotels and homestays that have not got a green light by the state govt.
- Any hotel that opens up without the government's permission will be cracked down and taken action against.
- Tourists who stay in non-registered hotels through app aggregator services will not be allowed. This has been deemed illegal.
What's open?
Curlies Goa
Over 200 hotels have been opened from today by the government. Apart from these several high-profile and high rated places in Goa are also opened. Curlies, a beach shack at Anjuna Beach, Goa, which is massively popular amongst tourists is open since the last one month. Speaking to IndiaTVnews.com a representative at Curlies said that activities at their shack were continuing as normal for the last one month.
"We have been operating since last month. Our rooms service are also functional. Other shacks are also now starting to open slowly," Curlies official said.
What's closed?
LPK is closed
Several beach shacks in North Goa are still shut. One of the most famous night clubs in Goa -- Love Passion Karma (LPK) -- is shut for tourists as of now.
Shacks in Goa still closed
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