Tag Archives: HAI

MP Bezbaruah, Secretary General, Hotel Association of India (HAI), has said that for some time to come, domestic tourism will continue to be the driving force. “Expansion of accommodation and access will be crucial factor to sustain this tempo of domestic tourism,” he added.

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has urged Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir and highlighted the recent unfair and adhoc raids, imposition of fines and threat of legal action on member hotels in the State. HAI pointed out that these impromptu actions by the state government were motivated by complaints of exorbitant prices and service deficiencies from tourists.

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has submitted a recommendation to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, highlighting the steep rise in insurance premiums for hotel properties in the last few years. HAI has urged the government to restore the insurance premium rates for hotel properties to the level of FY 2018-19. MP Bezbaruah, Secretary-General, HAI said, “The current very high insurance premium rates as compared to pre-FY 2018-19 is a major disincentive.”

A joint delegation of members from HRAWI, FHRAI, NRAI, AHAR and HAI met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the continued timing restrictions on restaurants in the state, and informed the CM of restaurateurs’ distress. Thackeray has assured that he will be present in the next meeting of the COVID-19 task force and look for ways for a graded reopening of the restaurant sector.

MP Bezbaruah, Secretary-General, Hotel Association of India (HAI), has said that the FM’s announcement on free visas has a very strong symbolic message that we have the confidence to welcome visitors and that tourism and hospitality is a strong pillar of post-Covid economic recovery strategy. “We sincerely hope that such measures will be logically followed by measures to make the industry recover and be ready to welcome tourists. Measures like liquidity support and exemption from statutory taxes. HAI would like to compliment the FM on this initiative and look forward to some more pragmatic initiatives to create jobs and livelihoods through a rejuvenated Tourism and Hospitality industry. As always HAI will be there for a committed role to be played by the Tourism and Hospitality industry in the national economic development programme,” he added.

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for immediate intervention to provide relief to the hospitality industry which is on the verge of collapse, in five key areas—one-time settlement of loans and extension of loan moratoriums till September 2021, waiver of all statutory liabilities at Centre, State and Municipal levels for the pandemic period, stimulus package subsidising of salaries of hotel employees, according ‘Infrastructure Status’ and to bring Tourism & Hospitality to the concurrent list of the Constitution. In its request HAI pointed out that over 40% of hotels have shut or are on the brink of closure and 70% of overall jobs are now in danger directly or indirectly.

KB Kachru, Vice President, Hotel Association of India, has shared that they have created state chapters so that they can deal both at central level and state level. “We realised that we needed to have a better voice and we needed to be significant enough to make a difference. Keeping that in mind, we felt that we needed to deal both at central level and state level. Hence, we decided that in order to expand, we need to get more quality products, respective to the segment, whether it’s luxury hotels, first-class hotels, mid-market hotels, or good economy hotels, and make them part of us, so that we have right numbers and then work towards getting our due from different states because all of them have different policies. Hence, we established state chapters in different states,” he said.

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has launched its West Bengal Chapter, and has submitted a memorandum of industry demands to West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Dr. Amit Mitra, seeking industry status for the hospitality sector. The association has suggested that this will help in reducing costs and encourage re-investment while bringing greater transparency in the sector functioning. A favourable policy decision of according industry status and allowing benefits available to manufacturing will strengthen the Indian hospitality industry, preserve and unlock its immense potential to make a significant contribution to the State’s GDP and jobs, supporting the post-pandemic economic revival of the region. MP Bezbaruah, Secretary General, Hotel Association of India, said, “The Association believes that granting industry status to the sector will enable hotels across the state to avail benefits towards electricity and water tariff at an industrial rate, lower property tax, rationalisation of taxes & license fees, simplified approval process for hotel projects & hotel operations and other benefits accorded to industries – thus helping in ushering transparency, reduce costs, and encourage reinvestment. Such small steps are crucial for revival of the sector after the disastrous impact of the Pandemic and essential considering the extent of employment and income the sector generates.”

Hotel Association of India (HAI) has launched its State Chapter for Punjab and appealed to the State Government to accord ‘industry’ status to the hospitality sector, thus enabling hotels across the state to avail the benefits towards lower electricity and water tariff, lower property tax, rationalisation of taxes & licence fees, and simplified approval process for hotel projects and hotel operations.

Claiming that the hospitality and tourism industry has taken a hard hit during the COVID-19 crisis, JK Mohanty, CMD, Swosti Group; Chairman, HRAO and Hony. Secretary, HAI, has said that state government needs to play a greater role in attracting investments from the private sector by providing attractive incentives for a period of at least 3 – 5 years to make Odisha an attractive destination competing with other neighbouring states like Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, etc. “Around five thousand additional number of hotel rooms in different star category should be set up to compete with the hotel infrastructure of the other states of India. We, therefore recommend that the Government should allow 30% capital investment subsidy up to a maximum limit of Rs.25 crores and 5% interest subsidy up to 11 years on repayment of term loans. If the subsidy is given only for 3 years, many hotels will come up as required,” he added.