Not only inter-State travelers, visitors to Kodagu from within the State may also have to carry a RT-PCR negative report.
Though the district administration is yet to receive any written order from the government on tests for inter-district visitors, it was verbally communicated during a videoconference by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on guidelines to be strictly complied with.
“We are awaiting an order on tourists from the government. If we get the guidelines on mandatory RT-PCR report even for tourists from within the State, we shall implement that. We have been told to screen people staying in resorts etc.,” said Deputy Commissioner Charulatha Somal.
Ms. Somal recently inspected the border checkposts and supervised the surveillance measures.
In an order on Saturday, Ms. Somal said a RT-PCR report is a must to enter Karnataka and daily travellers from Kerala are supposed to get the test done once in 15 days. They must carry the report whenever they are travelling to Kodagu.
She said the onus on checking the reports of the travellers lies with the bus conductors from the originating station.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders foresee a cancellation in bookings, particularly in resorts and home stays which have been seeing almost 100% occupancy after the curbs were lifted, if the report is made mandatory for tourists.
Kodagu has been attracting high-end tourists post-lockdown. The occupancy in Kodagu hotels has been dismal as they are reporting less than 20% occupancy.
“If the tests are made mandatory, it may result in cancellation of bookings. The rise in surveillance may deter tourists from travelling,” sources in tourism industry said.
Earlier, when restrictions were imposed on the entry of people from Kerala, it affected the tourist footfall in Mysuru and Kodagu, which dropped by nearly 30-40%.
Hotels in Mysuru and homestays and resorts in Kodagu had also reported cancellation of bookings of visitors from Kerala earlier in view of the stricter rules.
With fears of a third wave, the Delta variant, and rise in cases in Kerala, the government has alerted the DCs of border districts to curb the spread with early interventions.
