Uncertainty over cockfights hits hospitality industry in Godavari districts
KAKINADA: Lack of enthusiasm for cockfights and Covid-19 scare have badly hit the hospitality sector in Godavari districts, especially Bhimavaram in West Godavari.
Although only a week remains for Sankranti, many hotels are without any bookings. Incidentally, although the town’s population is 1.50 lakh as per 2011 census, there are over 30 hotels, including three star hotels. In normal circumstances, rooms were booked two to 10 months before Sankranti. The visitors included those coming for cockfights, software engineers, NRIs and industry players. Aqua sector thrives in West Godavari district and various companies and traders stay in lodges and hotels. In fact, relatives of local residents also stay in lodges due to the poor living conditions in their residences during the festive season.
“There is no proper response from the people and bookings are very dull. We are also not taking bookings as we don’t know the Covid-19 situation and the government’s stand after January 10’’ said Viswanadha Raju, chairman of Anand Inn hotel. He said business was bad even for Christmas and on January 1.
According to sources, usually cockfight organisers used to book hotels and guest houses for participants in advance. But this time none of them has booked rooms.
“Covid-19 has badly hit the hotel industry and economic activity has not recovered. So there is no money with people. Agriculture has also been hit by cyclones’’ said hotelier V. Nagaraju. He said that if government policies don’t favour them, then there was no question of a more lucrative 2021-22.
Meanwhile, Trujet Airlines has announced massive festive discounts from Kadapa airport to Hyderabad and other destinations ahead of Sankranti. According to Anipakula Bhavyan Kumar, manager at Trujet, Kadapa, tickets will be priced from Rs. 921 plus taxes. Passengers have to book their tickets from January 8 to 15. They have to travel from January 9 to October 30. Trujet runs its flights every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Kadapa to Hyderabad.
