The “night curfew” declared by the Maharashtra Government has prompted the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) to exhort its member-hotels and restaurants in Mumbai and other major cities across the State to gear up for early New Year’s eve celebrations coinciding with “Thailand Time”.
The hotels and restaurants in Mumbai and Municipal Corporation areas in Maharashtra — as per the advice by HRAWI — will ring in the New Year as early as at 10.30 pm on December 31 which is 12 midnight as per “Thailand Time”. In effect, the hotels and restaurants will usher in the year 2021 one-hand-a half hour early.
The HRAWI’s directive to its member hotels and restaurants comes in the wake of the Maharashtra Government’s decision to enforce night curfew in Mumbai and other municipal corporations of Maharashtra, between 11 pm and 6 am from December 22 to January 5, in view of new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 detected in the United Kingdom,
In a statement issued here, the HRAWI said that ending the year earlier was a fitting tribute to the hospitality industry’s “never say die attitude” and that it would welcome the New Year filled with hope and promise.
The HRAWI said that while the curfew would disrupt hospitality industry’s plans, it appreciated the Maharashtra Government’s pre-emptive measures to allay any threat of the Covid-19 pandemic’s second wave.
“Like every year, Mumbai will have its celebrations this year too, albeit a little earlier. The Government is doing its best to help keep its citizens safe and we see the intent behind the decision. But if it’s celebrations that Mumbaikars want, we will give it to them while ensuring that all norms and safety measures are adhered to. This is probably even better as people will get to be at their homes at midnight to bring in the New Year with their families,” HRAWI’s President Sherry Bhatia said.
The HRAWI member establishments are planning to “align celebrations with Thailand” and may even host virtual celebrations synchronised with them.
“The Hospitality industry wants to put the last eight months behind and instead look forward to the remaining eight days left in the year. We have braved the storm and have decidedly put the worst behind us. Nothing is going to dampen our spirits and we will emerge stronger than before. We welcome Mumbaikars to come join us in the last celebrations of the season, to bid farewell to 2020 and to usher in 2021 with lots of optimism, faith and hope,” HRAWI’s senior Vice President Pradeep Shetty said.