Travellers to Oman are facing a difficult time as they are unable to get a hotel room of their budget or choice for quarantine.
This is in addition to the current sky-high airfares.
According to the regulations, travellers entering Oman must now book a hotel for a mandatory seven-day quarantine through the ‘Sahala’ platform.
The regulations also stipulate that they should take a PCR test on arrival and need to isolate themselves in a pre-booked hotel room for seven days and take another test on the eight-day to confirm that they are free of the virus.
As per the notification from the Civil Aviation Authority, all inbound airlines should ensure that incoming passengers are holding a confirmed booking via the Sahala platform, which is an initiative of the Ministry of Social Development in collaboration with other competent authorities.
The decision to impose isolation in hotels listed on the e-platform for inbound travellers came due to the lack of compliance regarding home quarantine, and in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases.
But the incoming travellers find the financial requirements of the mandatory hotel stay very exorbitant, especially those in the low and middle-income bracket, when it comes to a date on which they need to travel.
“Most hotels in the affordable brackets are found to be overbooked. Those available are all high net-worth with higher rates which we cannot afford to”, said Firoz Ahmed, who wants to travel back to Muscat from a South Indian state.
Stay in big hotels costs more than RO 45 a day even as there are many on the Sahala platform with reasonable rates but they are not available for an early or convenient date of one’s choice. A look at the portal shows that most hotels in the lower rate category have already been ‘sold out’.
But despite bookings, there are incidents that travellers do not get their rooms on arrivals.
John Mathew is one among the travellers, who arrived at the Muscat airport and could get the room even though they had their valid advance bookings in different hotels.
“I was told at the counter that the hotel with which I had booking was full. But the officials at the airport allowed me to undergo quarantine at my home with a promise that the fund against my booking will be reimbursed”, he said.
Adding to the hotel booking blues are the higher airfares that empty the wallets.
“When an affordable hotel booking is available, ticket fares need not be in a suitable level. Anyone who wants to make an urgent trip will have to spend more”, said Augustin George, who wanted to bring his family back to Muscat.
People in the middle-income group, especially those with family, are the worst hit by the high fares. According to travel agents, the reasons for the non-availability of hotel rooms and higher fares are many.
“Many passengers bound for Saudi Arabia are using Muscat as a transit hub to stay in quarantine. This has led to overbooking of hotel rooms and rise in the airfares on some days”, said a travel agent in Ruwi.
Another reason, he pointed out are fears arising out of rumours that the authorities may opt for a full lockdown in the Sultanate.
“With a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, people fear that the government may resort to more serious steps like lockdown and closure of airports. This has spelt a panic among people”, said an official with a leading travel agency in the capital.
There has been a big rush from people who are on vacation to come back at the earliest as possible. This has led to the ticket price rise, he added.
SAMUEL KUTTY
@samkuttyvp
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