Omicron dampens festive spirit, worries hospitality sector

New Delhi / Bengaluru: This indeed the season to be jolly but the emergence of a new Covid variant and reimposed restrictions in some places just when things were looking up has the hospitality sector– and party-goers hoping to make the most of Christmas and year-end festivities – worried yet again.

Though Christmas lights are up in several cities, the feeling of déjà vu, of another year-end of lengthening Covid shadows – this time of the Omicron variant – has dampened the Yuletide spirit. And while many restaurants and hotels are going ahead with their Christmas and New Year plans, it's all edged with uncertainty and dread that another wave might be just around the corner. The party may not go on. But nobody can be sure.

Be it Delhi or Mumbai, Kolkata or Bengaluru, optimism for a happy and healthy end to the year clashes with the stress of not really knowing what lies ahead. The mantra, as an industry insider put it, is cautiously optimistic In the national capital, where the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday directed district magistrates to ensure no Christmas and New Year gathering takes place in view of the rising Omicron cases, restaurateurs sought more clarity.

The DDMA order, they said, permits bars and restaurants to operate with up to 50 per cent of seating capacity without specifying whether they can host Christmas and New Year parties. "Whether we can organise a party or not is a grey area. We hope the government will issue a clarification before December 31," Joy Singh, co-partner of Raasta and Yeti, told PTI. He said they are opting to be cautious and organising only sit-down lunches and dinners. A restaurant owner in Khan Market, the buzzing shopping and eating destination in the heart of the city, said this is their turnaround moment but it may not happen. "We were hoping the (DDMA) order would bring some relief but we will have to settle for 50 per cent of the crowd.

Ever since the pandemic, we have been facing issues with lockdown and then the curbs… We understand there is the Omicron threat, but other areas are fully functional, so why target our industry?" Sahil Sambhi of the Drunken Botanist, a bar-eatery in Gurgaon's Cyber Hub abutting Delhi, is equally despairing. "…This is the most rewarding time for the F&B industry.

That said, we will abide to the 50 per cent rule strictly and will follow all Covid protocols to the tee. We had planned a few events on the occasion, but I am afraid we have to cancel those now amid the fresh curbs imposed by the state government," the director of Drunken Botanist told PTI. Given the escalating number of cases and the fear of another wave, the industry is battling tremendous odds anyway. According to a survey by English news app Inshorts, about 63 per cent of Delhi residents said they will "stay at home" while 29 per cent said they would like to be part of "small get togethers".