Homestays discourage bookings on election days

Here is a shock if you are planning the long weekend in Sakleshpur or Kodagu in the third week of April, and skipping the voting on the polling days as the homestays and resorts in the areas will be reluctant to host you on those days.

Due to the government holidays a day before and after the polls, followed by the weekend, poor turnout for the polls was expected in Bengaluru. However, the plan by the homestays and resorts is intended to create awareness among the tourists about the importance and value of their vote over spending the holiday.

The home-stays and resorts in Sakleshpur have stopped taking the bookings for April 18, soon after the Election Commission announced the polling dates. “This is our bit to ensure the citizens take part in the elections. For the people who have done the advance booking, we are requesting them to reschedule their plans. There are a few bookings on the above mentioned dates, we have asked them to advance or postpone their plans and also given the option of refund. Now it’s upto the people to consider it. If they deliberately want to skip the polls, we can’t help,” Santosh, Owner of the Stone Valley Resorts, Sakleshpur told DH.

The owners of the homestays and resorts have taken this initiative on their own. Even in flood-hit Madikeri district, despite business taking a beating for a few months, the association of homestays has asked its members to remind the tourists about the polling dates in their respective constituencies if they book accommodations on April 18 or 23. Viju Changappa, the president of Kodagu Homestays Association, said, “We are doing this in our limits. Our members are aware of the election dates across the country, who will ask tourists about their participation in elections if they book on their respective voting days.”

However the homestays and resorts in Chikkamagaluru have not received large number of bookings for election dates. “Bookings have been done for previous weekends of the election date. But nobody has made enquiries for the third week. As responsible citizens, we will take part in elections and our members will ask the tourists to do nthe same,” Ansar Zabeer, president of Chikkamagaluru Homestays Association, told DH.