Tourism industry to get infrastructure status

September 19th, 2009 CHENNAI - The hospitality sector is poised for brighter days after a bad year that saw its turnover falling by 25-40 percent, according to a hotel industry official. "Prudent cost-control measures coupled with government initiatives like the Visit India campaign has helped the hotel industry," South Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association (SHIRA) president M.P.

September 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Contrary to popular belief, tax expenses of companies with the infrastructure status have gone up by 90.3 percent, a survey released here Sunday said. According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (Assocham) Financial Pulse study, tax expenses for companies under the infrastructure status have gone up because of improved realisations.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Kumari Selja has called upon experts and stakeholders in the tourism sector to develop world class tourism infrastructure for putting India's tourism industry on the world tourism map. Inaugurating a workshop on the subject here today she said, "We should look at comprehensive development of infrastructure which includes roads, water, sanitation, cleanliness, hygiene, proper lighting, landscape, signages and proper maintenance of tourism destinations and heritage sites." She said tourism and hospitality sectors contributes six per cent of the GDP and certain streamlining is required in infrastructure facilities.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - "We should look through the eyes of tourists about what they expect from us," Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said here Wednesday, calling upon experts and all stakeholders to help put India on the world tourism map. "We need good hotels, infrastructure, connectivity for tourists.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja will inaugurate a one-day workshop on World-Class Tourism Infrastructure here today. The objective of the workshop is to develop world class tourism infrastructure in consultation with architects, the engineering organisations, tourism managers and consultants.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary called on Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja here today and told here that Megahalaya has vast tourism potential both for domestic as well as foreign tourists. He said, leave travel concession to the Central Government employees to visit the north-east has made Meghalaya quite popular among tourists.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - We should look through the eyes of tourists about what they expect from us, said Tourism Minister Kumari Selja while inaugurating a workshop on 'World Class Tourism Infrastructure' here Wednesday. We need good hotels, infrastructure, connectivity for tourists.

August 18th, 2009 SRINAGAR - The tourism sector of Jammu and Kashmir has welcomed the initiative of the state government to device an insurance scheme to those involved in tourism trade. This sector will be compensated for the losses borne by them, if any.

August 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja will inaugurate a one-day workshop on World-Class Tourism Infrastructure here tomorrow. The objective of the workshop is to develop world class tourism infrastructure in consultation with architects, the engineering organisations, tourism managers and consultants.

July 6th, 2009 PANAJI - Neither Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat nor the captains of industry have acknowledged any specific benefit to the state's crucial tourism industry in the union budget presented Monday. While the Congress chief minister in his formal reaction welcomed the budget for its thrust on rural development and listed a string of generic highlights, Kamat failed to acknowledge how the financial exercise would specifically benefit Goa.

July 5th, 2009 PANAJI - The state tourism industry should be granted tax sops in the budget to be presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday, a leading industry chamber here has said. According to the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the state's tourism infrastructure also needed needed to be upgraded if it were to compete with other tourist destinations the world over.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja Friday urged Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to offer budgetary incentives for the tourism industry as it is facing a crunch due to global economic slowdown. Leading a delegation of key stake holders from tourism industry, Selja met the finance minister and submitted a memorandum requesting concessions in the union budget to be presented July 6.

April 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With merely 18 months left for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, India needs to allow 100 percent foreign investment in tourism infrastructure projects to boost tourism, says an industry lobby. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), 100 percent foreign investment in developing tourism infrastructure in India will give a major boost to this sector.

March 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian realty sector should be accorded an 'industry status' and the integrated township development activity an 'infrastructure status', the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has said in a report submitted to the government. 'With strong backward and forward linkages with more than 250 industry sectors including cement, steel, brick, timber, building material, the real estate and housing sector has played a catalyst role in India's growth story,' CII said in a written statement.

January 22nd, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Gujarat's tourism department has sought Sri Lanka's help in developing resorts along its coastline given the island nation's vast experience in running several resorts and spas along its beaches, an official said Friday. A tourism department official here said the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has been invited to develop resorts comprising world class facilities along Gujarat's 1,600-km coastline that is dotted with beaches, whose tourism potential remains untapped.