Centre inclined to modify policy to grab global tourism

Noting that the existing economic policy and infrastracture may be inadequate to achieve the target of sharing even one per cent of world tourism market, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma today said the government was inclined to make modifications.
Sharma was addressing the Golden Jubilee conference of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) here.
The 3-day meet was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and is being attended by about 1,000 delegates.
"We understand that there are only 80,000 classified hotel rooms in the country. In order to achieve the target of 1 per cent share in the international tourism market, we need about 3 lakh hotel rooms. Therefore, the existing economic policy and infrastructure available may not be helpful," Sharma said and sought suggestions from the FHRAI in this regard.

On FHRAI's demand of cutting the limit of Rs 200 crore for hotels and Rs 300 crore for convention centres to get infrastructure sector status, Sharma said, "We propose to reduce the limit to Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 crore. A day back only, we have filed that note. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will consider it understanding the potential of the issue."
Asking hotel owners to ensure growth of hospitality sector, the union minister said the government will leave no stone unturned in helping the hotel industry to achieve the goal. The hospitality sector not only fetches a good foreign exchange, it also provides employment and ensures women's empowerment, he pointed out.

Sharma said hoteliers need to take all stakeholders of tourism like Dabawalla and guides in order to achieve the goal. He said the Prime Minister's call for Skill India also has contribution towards the tourism industry.
Emphasizing on developing connectivity with north-east states, he said, "We also need to improve the connectivity to remote areas, Himalayan states, and NE states to explore the tourism potential there. Special directions have been given to officials to go there and stay and explore the options.