The last week of May 2009 turned out to be a turbulent one in West Bengal. Cyclone 'Aila' that hit Kolkata on May 25, 2009 was then followed by landslide in Darjeeling; these events have by and large affected the state’s hospitality and tourism sector. Hotels and restaurants witnessed a drop in occupancy of 10 to 15 per cent. However, business is picking up and is expected to be normal in the next few weeks.
According to R S Singh, Vice President - Operations, The Kenilworth Hotel, Kolkata, “On the cyclone day, due to flight delays and cancellation, hotels witnessed some cancellations, as well. Also, the MET department’s warning affected movement and hence, F&B and hotel room occupancy dropped, as well.” Agreeing to the situation, S K Khullar, Managing Director, Amber Restaurant and President, Hotel & Restaurant Associations of Eastern India, informed, “The first three days were very bad; there was a drop in the sales and footfalls at restaurants. Currently, most hotels in Kolkata are running at 50 to 55 per cent occupancy |