Guidelines issued for operation of hotels in Himachal Pradesh

The Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Himachal Pradesh, has issued SOPs for the state tourism sector. A set of safety and hygiene guidelines have been issued for the tourism sectors in Himachal Pradesh in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Government. from India. The guidelines are for hotels and lodging units across the state.

Hotels have been advised to train all staff and form a ‘Rapid Response Team’ to avoid incidents, effectively manage crises and mitigate the impact among guests, staff and other parties involved.

There will be a ‘Quick Response Leader’ from senior management and ‘Quick Response Officers’ from each and every operational team.

The team will be responsible for promoting key messages for guests and staff, such as frequent hand washing, respiratory hygiene, basic hygiene practices, and more.

Teams should post informational signs in appropriate places, informing guests about what should and should not be done, the numbers of the emergency helpline and organize awareness activities for guests and staff.

The Do’s and Don’ts for guests include:
1. Wearing masks whenever outside room
2. Clothes to not be washed inside the room
3. Don’t interact with other room’s guests
4. No visitors to be allowed inside rooms
5. Doors to be kept closed and contact with door knob to be avoided

The Do’s and Don’ts for staff include:
1. Hotel staff to restrict movement around guest rooms
2. Staff to maintain minimum 2m (6ft) with guests and other staff members
3. Staff to adhere to the zero-touch policy
4. Staff to wear a mask at all times

Hotels should have the following things available at all times:
1. Hand sanitizer
2. Masks
3. Garbage bags
4. Chemicals for deep cleaning
5. Thermal Gun
6. Hand gloves