Tourism and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja has said that the infrastructure that has been developed in Delhi for Commonwealth Games would work as the launching pad for future events in the country and should attract a large number of tourists to India.

Inaugurating an International Hospitality Fair here today she said, Delhi has been for some time one of the major convention destination of the world now with the addition of world class facilities that have emerged, the range of events that can be organized in Delhi have moved beyond traditional meetings and conventions to sporting and entertainment extravaganzas. 

She said, tourism industry of India is based on certain core nationalistic ideals and standards which are: Swaagat or welcome, Sahyog or cooperation, Soochanaa or information, Sanrachanaa or infrastructure, Suvidha or facilitation,Safaai or cleanliness and Surakshaa or security. 

Kumari Selja said, Atithi Devo Bhava Campaign being run by her ministry aims at creating awareness about the effects of tourism and sensitizing people about preservation of rich heritage & culture, cleanliness and warm hospitality of India. It also instils a sense of responsibility towards tourists and reinforces the confidence of foreign tourist towards India as a preferred holiday destination. 

She said, her Ministry is actively encouraging the Hospitality Sector to meet the highest international standards in terms of facilities and services, so as to compete with the best in the world. The Ministry is according high priority to timely inspections of the upcoming hotel units by the Hotel & Restaurant Approval & Classification Committee (HRACC) and henceforth the units will be inspected within 3 months of receipt of application complete in all respect and classification orders issued within 15 working days, if the committee gives a clear cut recommendation. 

She said, the core competence of the Hospitality Industry ultimately lies in the quality of its Human Resources. As part of our efforts to improve the availability of qualified and trained personnel in the hospitality sector of the country, the Ministry of Tourism has taken several initiatives to bridge the demand supply gap. She said, at the forefront of this effort are the twenty one existing Central Institutes of Hotel Management (IHM), twelve State IHMs and five Food Craft Institutes (FCI). So far in the Eleventh Plan, the Ministry has sanctioned seventeen new state IHMs and 11 new FCIs. Other steps taken by the Ministry for bridging the gap in availability of manpower are the up gradation of infrastructure of existing IHMs and FCIs and broad basing of hospitality education through universities, colleges, ITIs, polytechnic institutes and schools. 

The Minister said, similarly several initiatives have been undertaken to build capacity amongst the service providers including Guides, Front Office staff of hotels and travel agents, F&B staff in hotels and other front line staff across the tourism industry.