In response to the Parliamentary Standing Committee?s report on Tuesday which stated that Delhi is not ready to host the Commonwealth Games to be held in October 2010, the ministry of tourism has said it has a ?Plan-B? ready to meet the acute shortage of rooms required to accommodate the 1 lakh tourists expected during the Games.
As per the report, against the 30,000 rooms needed in and around Delhi, only 1,924 rooms are definite to come. Another 2,015 rooms are likely to come up.?However, Sujit Banerjee, secretary, ministry of tourism, told FE that things have changed a lot since the time the committee compiled its numbers. ?Around 9,321 rooms are now under the definite category, 3,032 rooms are likely and around 14,575 are in doubtful category,? he said.
Banerjee added that the ministry has been working on a ?Plan-B? to fill the whopping supply and demand gap. ?The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is building 3,179 flats in Delhi, which will give us around 5,500 rooms. An additional 3,000 rooms will be provided by the bed and breakfast scheme,? he said. Banerjee added that India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) will furnish the rooms once they are ready.
He also said that the ministry has surveyed 654 licensed guest houses with 20,158 rooms in the capital. ?A committee consisting of four people, one each from the police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and two students of the Institute of Hotel Management surveyed these guest houses. Around 327 guest houses with 10,200 rooms have been deemed fit to host the tourists,? he said. Moreover, around 382 guest houses with 7,487 rooms could also be used for accommodation once they register themselves and are approved by the committee.
Banerjee said the total number of definite rooms is around 27,500 now if one considers all these options expect the 7,500 rooms in 382 guest houses which are still unregistered. ?In case there is a further shortage, we can resort to providing tented accommodation in select scenic areas of the national capital region,? he said.
In their plea, hotel associations have said that the global economic meltdown and the recent terror attack in Mumbai have adversely impacted the country?s tourism scenario resulting in cancellations and a revenue loss to the tune of Rs 9,731 crore.?This among other reasons is deterring players from building room inventory despite the five-year tax holiday provided by the government for players who complete their projects before 2010.