Hai Unveils Eight-Point Charter

The Hotel Association of India (HAI) was formally launched yesterday. It has been formed to highlight the concerns of the hotel industry in a more focused way. The association unveiled its eight-point charter of objectives.

The association has been set up to project the hotel industrys role as a contributor to sustainable economic and social development of the country, and as a substantial provider of employment, HAI president S S H Rehman said at a press conference. HAI will prepare a white paper to identify potential opportunities and address impediments in the areas of land taxation, finance and legislation. The work is underway and will be presented to the ministry concerned in this financial year, informed HAIs secretary Priya Paul.

 

Rahman said the white paper will go a long way in assisting the industry in formulating strategies and pressing for a framework that endeavours to secure the industry its status. The executive committee of HAI consists of ITC Hotels Ltd managing director S S H Rehman (president), ITDC CMD Anil Bhandari (vice president), UP Hotels Ltd CMD L P Gupta (treasurer) and Park Hotels president Priya Paul (secretary).

There are seven members. The secretary general is R K. Puri.

However, in a forum where the leaders of the hotel industry have come together to espouse a common cause, the Taj group of hotels is conspicuous by its absence.

We are negotiating with the Taj group of hotels and hope to have their representation in HAI, Rehman clarified, adding, HAI is also not a breakaway faction of the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India.

HAI will constitute a panel of experts to meet the growing needs of the industry and its membership, and to advise on hotel and resort planning, training and human resource development, legislation and taxation, and marketing and conferences.

The other objectives of the HAI include to create an awareness about the hotel industry; secure it a status of an industry, interface with government and other authorities; serve the members by establishing a data bank to provide timely information, data and advisory services and draw up a code of conduct for the industry.