COVID-19 Impact: During various stages of lockdown to stop Coronavirus spread, one good news that we have been witnessing is from the environment. Due to lockdown, the air outside the home has become much better and the water of holy river Ganga has become clearer. On the basis of this lockdown outcome from the environmental perspective, the hospitality industry is expecting kick-start from the Ganga tourism in the Northern Indian parts. They are of the opinion that water of the river Ganga has become drinkable and post-lockdown people would be interested to witness such changes in river Ganga before it becomes polluted again.

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Speaking on the eco-tourists flooding towards the river Ganga post-lockdown Gaurav Taneja, Corporate General Manager at Amatra Hotels & Resorts said, “India’s foremost sacred river the Ganges has reincarnated to its old glory, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience. We believe this would lead to an influx of several thousand travellers to experience this phenomenon in Haridwar and possibly be the biggest trigger for driving the eco-tourism in the Uttarakhand region." Taneja said that his hotels and resorts have already received several queries from travellers inquiring about it and are quite certain once the COVID-19 lockdown is relaxed, they will witness unprecedented travel and hospitality demand in the region.

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Elaborating upon how tourism can blood around the river Ganga Dr. Ankur Bhatia , Executive Director at Bird Group said, "In what could have been a boon of otherwise such a stringent lockdown is the water of Ganges - which is fit to drink now as claimed by scientists. I am of the view that if not long-term, travellers will be wooed towards Rishikesh and Haridwar for some months till the water loses its transparency and becomes soiled as earlier with industrial effluents once lockdown is over. For longer-term, if the government builds on from the benefit which has accrued naturally and sustains effort to maintain it's cleanliness, the tourism will definitely bloom around the river. As far as our river beachside property The Roseate Ganges is concerned, it is upstream and water is always potable. The recent lockdown has only improved it by a large extent."