The Union Government has planned to increase the number of guest rooms in the country to 1.80 lakh units to encourage arrival of more foreign tourists, said Vivek Nair, Executive Committee Member of the South India Hotels and Resorts Association (SIHRA), here on Saturday.
Talking to reporters after attending the annual general body meeting Mr Nair said the Union Government had included this in the 12{+t}{+h}Five Year Plan, involving a capital expenditure of Rs 72,000 crore. Mr Nair said the industry presented a comprehensive report to the Government, which they adopted.
Talking about India’s share in attracting foreign tourists, Mr Nair said it was only 0.6 per cent of the total world share and the industry aimed to increase it to 1.2 per cent.
T. Natarajan, vice-president, SIHRA said nearly 4,000 guest rooms would be added in the State in the next four years. The existing number is 1,801 units, which would be increased to 5,826 and in his opinion Chennai would become one of the most sought after destinations.
Occupancy rate in hotels in Andhra Pradesh has come down by 30 to 40 per cent due to various reasons, said G.V. Krishnaiah, president, Andhra Pradesh Hotels Association. The situation is no better in the capital Hyderabad, he said.
K.L. Ramanatha Bhat, vice-president SIHRA and representative of Karnataka Hotels Association, said the State Government had announced Rs 20 crore package to add 1,600 rooms in the State by this financial year.
Number of guest rooms to be increased to 1.80 lakh units
