Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Hospitality is also known as the act of generously providing care and kindness to whoever is in need. According to Dictionary.com hospitality means ‘the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers’. Specifically, this includes the welcome, reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers in a warm, friendly and generous way. In India, hospitality is based on the principle Atithi Devo Bhava, meaning "the guest is God." Hospitality is defined as “the friendly reception and treatment of strangers". For most people, hospitality means entertaining guests with courtesy and warmth. Hospitality is also an industry made up of businesses that provide lodging, food and other services to travellers. The main components of this industry are hotels, motels, inns, resorts and restaurants. In a broad sense, the hospitality industry might refer to any group engaged in tourism, entertainment, transportation or lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car rental companies and tour operators. However the two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant industry).

The word “hospitality” derives from the latin hospes, which is formed from hostis, which originally meant to have power. The meaning of host can be literally read as lord of strangers

Defining hospitality The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) (1968) defined it as 'establishments (whether or not licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors) providing meals, light refreshments, drink or accommodation. . Knowles (1996) further describes the hospitality industry as 'any combination of the three core services of food, drink and accommodation...a blend of 'tangible and intangible elements - and the service, atmosphere and image that surrounds them.‘ The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as the travel and tourism industry. It is one of the oldest industries in the world. In early days, traders, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims needed a break in their journeys requiring food, shelter and rest.

History of Hospitality Industry Early History The concept of hospitality is extremely old; it is mentioned in writings dating back to ancient Greece, ancient Rome and Biblical Times. In ancient times people felt that hospitality to strangers was necessary to their religious well-being. Religion was the principal motivating force in the concept of hospitality. In ancient Greece missionaries, priests, and pilgrims formed a very large part of the travelling public. Often they were journeying to holy places, perhaps oracles or temples that had a dominant position in their religion. During the Roman era, travellers who were not on the road for religious reasons were usually on military, diplomatic or political missions. Many military travellers disdained using the accommodations that were available along the route. Inn in the cities was of bad reputation and detrimental to travelers; outside the cities, they neither existed nor were needed. The military travelers preferred, therefore, to sleep in the tents they carried with them. In ancient Persia, travelling was done in large caravans, which carried elaborate tents for use along the caravan routes. However, at certain points on these routes, accommodations known as Khans were constructed. These were simple structure consisting of four walls that provided protection not only against natural elements but also against enemies who attacked under cover of darkness. Early history of accommodation for travellers can be traced back to the Greek word 'xenia' which not only meant hospitality, but also the protection given to a traveller from discomforts. The city was bound to traditions of hospitality. In Sparta city, despite rigorous customs restricting visitors, goddess Athena was considered a 'protector of strangers' and hence her name, Xenia Athena. In this period travellers were mainly diplomats, philosophers, intellectuals and researchers. Guests were invited to stay with the nobleman. In ancient Olympia, buildings constructed with the aim of accommodating strangers are still visible. They were called 'Leonardo' and were built in fourth century BC. The concept of hospitality can also be traced back to ancient times. Mention of it is found in Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. Hotel keeping can also be traced back to many centuries and its evolution through the ages has been brought about by Britain's economical and industrial changes and developments. The next stage in the cycle of evolution of the hotel industry was the coming of the motor car. It enabled people to visit those parts of the country which could not be reached by railways. This gave birth to inland resorts and the hotel industry began to flourish. International air travel has helped create the modern stop-over hotel. With the increase in this form of travel, the number of hotels built close to airports has multiplied. Another trend in hotel keeping is the Motel, which is the twentieth century version of the old Coach Inn. People travelling the country by car, stopping overnight here and there; require not only refreshment for themselves, but also safe parking for their cars. Post houses, developed by the Trust houses Forte Group, are in fact the modern version of the old coaching inns. This is probably why Great Britain is considered as the 'motherland of hotel industry'. Middle Ages During the Middle Ages religion was the driving force for hospitality. It was considered as the duty of the Christians to offer hospitality to travellers and pilgrims. Monasteries functioned as inns, providing accommodations and food for the weary traveller. Some monasteries and churches, constructed a separate building to accommodate travellers. These building were known as xenodocheions, a Greek word meaning inns or resting places. Charlemagne during his reign enacted laws setting out the duty of a Christian to provide a free resting place for a traveller. However, in consideration perhaps of the possibility that a traveller might overstay his welcome, and also the burden or providing free food for an indefinite period of time, the law limited the stay of any traveler in any place to three nights. In 1282 in Florence Italy, the great innkeepers of the city incorporated an association for the purpose of turning hospitality into a business. Inns became licensed and were permitted to import and resell wine. The inns themselves belonged not to the innkeepers but to the city, and they were operated under three-year leases, which was sold by auction. In the year 1290, 86 inns in Florence were members of the guild. Shortly thereafter, the business of hospitality spread to Rome and other Italian cities. It is interesting to note that during that period many of the innkeepers were German rather than Italian- possibly because many of the merchants who were travelling themselves German and were eager to find accommodation where they would find their own language and food they were accustomed to. In the 18th century, coffeehouses became extremely popular in Europe and were incorporated into many of the inns. Till the industrial revolution of the 1700s, no significant improvement was made in the inns and taverns, and they were not very suitable for aristocrats. To accommodate wealthy travellers, luxurious structures were constructed with private rooms, individual sanitation and the comforts of a European castle. These elegant new establishments adopted the French word for mansion - 'Hotel'. Not surprisingly, their rates, too, were beyond the reach of an ordinary person. In America early inns were modelled after European taverns, with sleeping quarters shared by two or more guests. During industrial revolution 1750-1820 English inns were considered finest in the world . Hotel de Henry was one of the first European hotels built in 1788 with capacity of 60 rooms. Growth of hotel inns took place with concept of family hotels i.e run by the families were called mom & pop in England. Industrial Revolution in England brought ideas and progress in the business of inn keeping. The lead in hotel keeping was taken by the emerging nations of Europe, especially Switzerland. It was in Europe that the birth of an organised hotel industry took place in the shape of small hotels which provided services to the aristocrats. The word “hotel” was used in England in about 1760. The real growth of the modern hotel industry took place in the USA with the opening of City Hotel in New York in 1794. Termand house was first class hotel made in Boston 1829 which provided private guest room, door with lock, free soap bellboy service. It is called Adam and Eve of modern hotel industry. Mr. Ellsworth M Statler started new chain and made his first hotel “Buffalo Statler” on 18 Jan 1908. He gave a slogan" room and a bath for a dollar and a half".

Origin of Indian hospitality industry In India the concept of shelter for travellers is not new. In fact, it is as old as its recorded history. The historical records are replete with mention of viharas, dharamshalas, sarais, musafirkhanas, etc. These establishments provided a home to all wayfarers, be they pilgrims, scholars, adventurers or merchants. The shelters under various names have always been a part of India’s culture as a valuable institution providing a vital service. The ancient Buddhist monks were probably the first to institutionalise the concept of a shelter in India. The cave temples scattered all over the south-western region of India have both a chaitya (sanctuary) for worship and prayer and a vihara (monastery). These monks, although living in their quiet retreats, away from towns and villages, were nevertheless mindful of the needs of travellers and pilgrims who found shelter and food at these monasteries. It is interesting to note that these monasteries are located on the ancient trade routes between important deities of the region. Mere charity was obviously not the motivation in these displays of generosity. The trader travelled with their merchandise and money on these routes and the viharas were their hotels. In the medieval period this ancient institution gradually assumed a more secular character. Although religious centres invariably had dharamshalas and musafirkhanas attached to them, the caravanserai appeared as an exclusive traveler’s lodge with a nanbai or cook attached with it. Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan Emperor and the builder of the Grand Trunk Road, is credited with having built caravanserais at regular intervals all along this highway creating favourable conditions for commerce and travel. However, he was not alone in this venture. The Mughals built such facilities all over their empire. Later kings, rajas, navabs, rich businessmen and philanthropists built sarais making travel less arduous. At approximately the same time, the inn was the Western counterpart of India’s sarais. With the expansion of commerce, travelling became profitable and with it emerged the business of providing comfortable shelter and good food to the growing number of travellers. The sarais in India like inns in Europe or the stagecoach stations in the USA of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries stood all along the well-travelled routes. They provided food and shelter to the travellers and fodder to their horses. The amenities these early hotels offered would seem to us to be primitive but they conformed to the lifestyle of that age. With the passage of time the age-old institution of the sarai or the inn adapted itself to the ever-changing and constantly growing requirements of the market and has evolved into the modern hotel. From the age of the bullock cart and horses through the age of the rail road into the era of the jumbo jet and supersonic aircraft, the hotel industry developed with the simultaneous development of transportation systems. It also reflects the standard of living and the lifestyle of the society in which it operates. The development of hotel industry in India is also continuous and satisfactory. The British introduced hotels in India mainly for their own use or for foreign visitors. Some seventy years back, baring the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, almost all hotels in India were owned and operated by the Britishers and the Swiss. There were Albion Hotels, Victory Hotel and the Hope Hall. The arrangement in these was an excellent one. Western-style residential hotels are comparatively of recent origin in India. These hotels were first started about 160 years ago mainly for princes and aristocrats and high dignitaries. The credit for opening the first Western-style hotel in India in the name of British Hotel in Mumbai in 1840 goes to Pestonjee who is the pioneer of Western-style hotels in India. The Auckland Hotel was started in 1843 and in 1858 it was renamed as the Great Eastern Hotel. Today there are a number of western-style hotels in Kolkata Great Eastern, Oberoi Grand, Kenilworth, Park, Hindustan International, Taj Benga! Etc. By the end of the 19th century, there were many western-style hotels in South, like Imperial, Albany, New Woodland, Elphinstone, Napier, Pandyan (Madurai), Bangalore International, West End (Bangalore), Savoy, Ritz (Hyderabad), Palm Beach (Visakhapatnam) etc. The twentieth century can be called the turning point in the history of the hotel industry in India. It was during this period many big business owners entered into the field. In 1904, Jamshedji Tata opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. Front facing the Mumbai harbour and overlooking the Gateway of India, it was until recently, the largest hotel in the East. It is rated among the top ten hotels in the world. Jamshedji felt that it was essential for the advancement of the country that it should have an up-to-date hotel to provide facilities and comforts to visitors from all parts of the world. Today there are many hotels in the chain including the President Hotel, the Fort Auada Beach Resort, the Lake Palace (Udaipur), the Rambagh Palace, Taj Palace (New Delhi), Taj Bengal (Kolkata) and many more. The Indian Hotels Company Limited, owned by Tatas manages the famous Taj group of Hotels. This chain has fifty-five properties in India and abroad. Another entrepreneur who entered the field of hotel industry is Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi who opened a chain of Oberoi Hotels in India and abroad. Mr. Oberoi started his career as a clerk but later became a partner in the Clarks Hotels, Shimla.In 1933, Mr. Oberoi took over the Grand Hotel, Kolkata on lease and gave it a new look and new life. Mr. Oberoi built a hotel on Gopalpur on sea, in Orissa, Mount Everest in Darjeeling, the Mount View in Chandigarh and the Palace in Srinagar to his chain of hotels. Oberoi’s School of Hotel Management in Delhi recognised by the International Hotel Association, Paris, trains up young people from different countries.

What is Hotel? A 'hotel' or 'inn' is defined by the British law as 'the place where a bonafide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to be received'. Hence a hotel must provide food and lodging to a traveller on payment and has, in turn, the right to refuse if the traveller is drunk, disorderly, unkempt or is not in a position to pay for the services.

Characteristics of the hospitality industry Intangibility: The hospitality products cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard or smelled before they are purchased. When the sales representative of a hotel goes to sell hotel room they do not take hotel room with them. In fact they do not sell a room. Instead, they sell the right to use a room for a specific period of time. Inseparability: In most hospitality services, both the service provider and the customer must be present for the transaction to occur. The food in a restaurant may be outstanding, but if the service person has a poor attitude or provides inattentive service, customers will down-rate the overall restaurant experience. Variability or heterogeneity: Services are highly variable because their quality depends on who provide them and when and where they are provided. In service delivery high level of human involvement is required. This makes it vary every time the consumer is availing the service. Hotel room will remain the same but the service and facilitation in the room will depend upon the housekeeping staff. The cleanliness of a hotel room may have different standards if the housekeeping supervisor or the room cleaner is changed. Perishability: Services cannot be stored. Vacant rooms are perishable. The unsold room tonight can never be sold again. Like empty airline seats, Theatre seats or sport arena seats, hotel rooms cannot be stored, cannot be saved and cannot be used a new. Fixed Supply: Supply of rooms in a hotel is fixed. Airlines adjust to demand by temporarily adding or removing flights. This is not so with hotels. High Operating Cost: Unlike manufacturing industries, which offset labour with large capital investments, hotels are both capital and labour intensive. The result is high fixed costs, which continue whether or not the hotel has business. Thus a high percentage of occupancy is needed just to break even. Seasonality: Seasonality means changes in business, employment or buying patterns which occurs predictably at given times of the years. On a business site, seasonality is defined as seasonal fluctuation in economic or business activity which occurs again and again regularly during a year as a result of changes in climate, holidays and vacations (Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms 2011). Seasonality indicates the subject matter of fluctuations of demand or supply in the tourism industry which are effected due to weather conditions, public and school holidays. (Cooper, Fyall, Gilbert & Wanhill 2005, 279.). Seasonality in hotels involves fluctuations in number of guests, occupancy rates and bed nights.

Structure of the hospitality industry

The hospitality industry is a billion dollar industry and is a cluster of industries comprising of lodging, food services, recreation, entertainment, amusement and travel sectors. These organizations offer comfort, entertainment and guidance to strangers. The hospitality industry can also be divided in different ways: Commercial or service sector: Most of the hospitality operations are being run as business to earn profits. Profit making or working within a budget: Most hospitality operations need to make profit but some need to work on specific budget. For example school canteens. Restricted customer or open to the general public: Most hospitality operations can sell to anyone but some are restricted to selling to a small part of the public. For examples customers on train, cruise. Hotels are of various types depending on number of factors like the nature and facilities offered, size, location etc. Classification in the real sense separates accommodation into different categories or class on the basis of objective criteria, for example, by the type of accommodation, such as hotels, motels, tourist lodges, holiday camps etc. It seeks to present information about tourist accommodation units in a form, which enables the user to find information he requires. Information thus obtained will help to compare with identical classification and thus, separates accommodation according to physical features.

The main reasons for classifying hotels are: To analyse the market sector and so aid: (a) Comparisons. (b) Analyses of performance. (c) Identifying market gaps. (d) Marketing strategies. (e) Customer requirements The accommodation industry may be divided into three broad categories- Conventional or traditional – International hotel, commercial and business hotel, Resorts, floating hotels, roatel. Palace and heritage hotels, budget hotels, luxury hotels, all suite hotels, motel, Supplementary Accommodation- Bed and breakfast, Forest/jungle lodges, Hostel, youth hostels, limited hostels, Extended stay, train cabin and retiring room, Caravans, Ryokan and minshuku, boutique hotels, cave hotel, undersea lodge, tree lodge, Government accommodation(rest house, dak bungalows, circuit houses, public works department and forest rest houses), Homestays, YMCA, YWCA./ Customized Accommodation- Timeshares and condominiums, capsule hotels, Ice hotels, apartment hotels, camping.

CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS In a system of classification, hotels are ideally grouped into reasonably homogenous sections according to their important general characteristics. Any classification of the industry into its component sections is bound to be rough one as has been observed that hotels and catering services are in joint demand. Therefore, an attempt is made here to create such groups of undertakings which only share some common characteristics. Hotel is an establishment selling service: food, drink and shelter. The value and the potentiality of a hotel are assessed by the size, location, number of rooms and other revenue earning points it possesses. The classification of hotels within the industry is a complicated task. Hotels can be classified on different basis.

Classification According to Facilities and Amenities Based on the facilities and amenities provided by a hotel, they are generally classified into five main types: 1. Economy / Limited Service Hotels - These types of hotels provide efficient, clean, private rooms with attached bath. The furnishings and decor are moderate. Initially these hotels did not have telephones or television in the rooms; but now most of them have it. Food and beverage service may not be available, and bell attendants, door attendants and concierge facilities are absent. To maintain these economy hotels, they are located on inexpensive real estate areas and constructed at relatively low cost. Operating costs are kept low by eliminating food and beverage service and employing minimum staff to service the guests. 2. Mid-Market Hotels - The modem mid-market hotel is a descendant of the first commercial hotel, offering comfortable accommodation with private baths, on-premises food and beverage service and uniformed bell staff. These hotels, also called standard or tourist class hotels, offer above average luxury and comfort, professionally designed decor and may also have scenic views or advantageous locations. 3. All-suite Hotels - The all-suite hotel was invented to compete with first-class hotels by offering above-average facilities at mid-market rates. A typical all suite hotel offers separate sleeping and living areas, along with other benefits like a kitchenette and a stocked bar. Some hotels offer food and beverage service and employ bell staff. A variation of the all-suite hotel, the condominium hotel is a fully equipped apartment complex that rents accommodations for a short period. A typical condominium hotel is located in a resort area and marketed as an alternative to full-service hotels. 4. First-Class or Executive Hotels - A typical first-class hotel is luxurious or semi-luxurious, with exceptional comfort and decor, highly trained staff and above average food and beverages. These hotels are also referred to as executive or superior hotels, often having luxury suites, two or more dining rooms and a cocktail lounge. Many accommodations have excellent views, refrigerators and fully stocked bars. 5. Luxury or Deluxe Hotels - These hotels represent the highest standard of excellence in the level of luxury and comfort, cleanliness and efficiency, staff specialisation, competence and courtesy, diversity and quality of food and beverage service. A typical deluxe hotel has at least 10% of its space reserved for luxury suites, two or more dining rooms, usually a gourmet-style dining room, and a family style restaurant. Most of these hotels have excellent views, location and ambience. Some hotels offering a very high level of luxury are referred as grand- deluxe.

Classification According to Star Ranking The Department of Tourism classifies functioning hotels under the star system, into five categories from 1-star to 5-star. For this purpose a permanent Committee, the Hotel and Restaurant Approval and Classification Committee (HRACC) has been set up which inspects the applicant hotels to assess their suitability or otherwise for award of the star category applied for. Based on the recommendations of the HRACC, deserving hotels are awarded the appropriate star category and are placed on the approved list of the Department. Approved hotels become eligible to various fiscal reliefs and benefits. The Department intercedes on behalf of such hotels whenever necessary to ensure that their needs get priority consideration from various concerned authorities. These hotels also get worldwide publicity through tourist literature published by the Department of Tourism and distributed by the Government of India Tourist Offices in India and abroad. Approved hotels become eligible for obtaining foreign exchange for their import of essential equipment and provisions and for their over seas advertising, publicity and promotion under the Hotel Incentive Quota Scheme. To be eligible to apply for classification, a functioning hotel must fulfill the following minimum basic requirements: i) The hotel must have at-least 10 lettable bedrooms. ii) All rooms should have proper ventilation and ceiling fans. iii) Carpet areas in respect of rooms and areas of bathrooms should by and large adhere to the following limits prescribed: Failure to satisfy these conditions will disqualify a hotel for consideration. The general features, facilities and services expected of hotels in the different star categories are broadly described here: Category of Hotel Area Standards Single Room 180 sq.ft Double Room 200 sq.ft 5-Star / 5-Star Deluxe Hotels (Fully Air conditioned) Bathrooms 45 sq.ft Single Room 120 sq.ft Double Room 140 sq.ft 4-Star & 3-Star Hotels (Air-conditioned/ Non-A/c) Bathrooms 36 sq.ft (Extra area may be provided if twin beds are to be provided) Single Room 100 sq.ft Double Room 120 sq.ft 2-Star & 1-Star Hotels (Air-conditioned / Non-A/c) Bathrooms 30 sq.ft or subject to local bylaws Five Star Category General Features - The facade, architectural features and general construction of the hotel building should have the distinctive qualities of a luxury hotel of this category .The locality, including the immediate approach and environs should be suitable for a luxury hotel of this category and there should be adequate parking space for cars. The hotel should have at least 25 lettable bedrooms, all with attached bathrooms with long bath or the most modern shower chambers. All public rooms and private rooms should be fully air-conditioned and should be well equipped with superior quality carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc., in good taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of professionally qualified and experienced interior designers of repute for this purpose. There should be an adequate number of efficient lifts in the building of more than two stories (including the ground floor) with 24 hours service. There should be a well- designed and properly equipped swimming pool. There should be a well- designated lobby and ladies' and gentlemen's cloakroom equipped with fittings and furniture of the highest standard. Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information counter attended by highly qualified, trained and experienced personnel and conference facilities in the form of one each or more of the conference rooms, banquet halls and private dining rooms. There should be bookstall, beauty parlor, barbershop, recognised travel agency, florist and a shop for toilet requisites and medicines on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room and telephone for use of guests and visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music and a TV set in each room. There should be a well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining room / restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there should be an elegant, well equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and cold storage should be professionally designed to ensure efficiency of operation and should be well equipped. Services - The hotel should offer both International and Indian Cuisine and the food and beverage service should be of the highest standard. Glassware, cutlery, silver, table-wear and all necessary accessories should be of best quality and standard. There should be professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart, clean uniforms, and the staff coming in contact with guests should understand English. The supervisory staff knowing at least one continental language should be rotated on duty at all times. There should be 24-hour service for reception, information and telephones. There should be provision for reliable laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping, at the hotel, should be of the highest possible standard and there should be plentiful supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., which should be of the highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a good vacuum jug/ thermos flask with ice cold boiled drinking water except where centrally chilled purified drinking water is provided. There should be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing, orchestra are available.

Four Star Category General Features - The facade, architectural features and general construction of the building should be distinctive and the locality including the immediate approach and the environs should be suitable for a hotel of this category. There should be adequate parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have atleast 25 lettable bedrooms all with attached bathrooms. At least 50% of the bathrooms must have long baths or the most modern shower chambers, with 24-hour service of hot and cold running water. All public rooms and private rooms should be fully air conditioned and should be well furnished with carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc, in good taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of professionally qualified and experienced interior designer of repute for this purpose. There should be an adequate number of efficient lifts in building of more than 2 stories (including the ground floor). There should be a well-designated lobby and ladies: and gentlemen's cloakrooms equipped with fittings of a standard befitting a hotel of this category. Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information counter attended by trained and experienced personnel. There should be a bookstall, recognised travel agency, money changing and safe deposit facilities and a left luggage room on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room for the use of guests and visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music in each room. There should be a well-equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining room / restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there should be an elegant, well-equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry, cold storage should be professionally designed to ensure efficiency of operation and should be well equipped. Service - The hotel should offer both international and Indian cuisine and food and beverage service should be of the highest standards. There should be professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart, clean uniform and the staff coming into contact of the guests should possess good knowledge of English. It will be desirable for some of the staff to possess knowledge of foreign language and staff knowing at least one continental language should be rotated on duty at all times. There should be 24 hours service for reception, information and telephones. There should be provision of reliable laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of the highest possible standard and there should be plentiful supply of linen, blankets, towels etc. that should be of the highest quality available. Similarly, the cutlery and glassware should be of the highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a vacuum jug (flask with ice cold, boiled drinking water. There should be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing, orchestra are provided.

Three Star Category General Features - The architectural features and general construction of the building should be of a very good standard and the locality, including the immediate approach and environs should be suitable for a very good hotel and there should be adequate parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have at least 20 lettable bedrooms all with attached bathrooms with bath tubs and / or showers and should be modern in design and equipped with fittings of a good standard with hot and cold running water. At least 50% of the rooms should be air-conditioned and the furniture and furnishings such as carpets, curtains, etc., should be of a very good standard and design. There should be adequate number of lifts in the building with more than two stories (including the ground floor). There should be a well furnished equipped lounge and separate ladies and gentlemen's cloak rooms equipped with fittings of a good standard. Facilities - There should be a reception and information counter attended by qualified and experienced staff and a bookstall, recognised travel agency, money changing and safe deposit facilities on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room (except in seasonal hotels where there would be a call bell in each room and a telephone on each floor for the use of hotel guests) and a telephone for the use of guests and visitors to the hotel. There should be a well-equipped and well-maintained air-conditioned dining rooms / restaurant and where ever permissible by law, there should be a bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and cold storage should be clean and organised for orderliness and efficiency. Service - The hotel should offer good quality cuisine both Indian as well as continental and the food and beverage service should be of good standard. There should be qualified, trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart and clean uniforms and the supervisory staff coming in contact with the guests should understand English. The senior staff should possess a good knowledge of English. There should be provision for laundry and dry cleaning service. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a very good standard and there should be adequate supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., of good quality. Similarly, cutlery, crockery, glassware should be of good quality. Each bedroom should be provided with vacuum jug / thermos flask with cold boiled drinking water. The hotel should provide orchestra and ball room facilities and should attempt to present specially choreographed Indian Cabarets.

Two Star Category General Features - The building should be well constructed and the locality and environs including the approach should be suitable for a good hotel. The hotel should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of which at least 75% should have attached bathrooms with showers and a common bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms and should be with modern sanitation and running cold water with adequate supply of hot water, soap and toilet papers. 25% of the rooms should be air-conditioned (where there should be heating Arrangements in all the rooms) and all rooms must be properly ventilated, clean, and comfortable with all the necessary items of furniture. There should be a well-furnished lounge. Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone. There should be a telephone or call bell in each room and there should be a telephone on each floor unless each room has a separate telephone. There should be a well- maintained and well equipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome food and a clean, hygienic and well-equipped kitchen and pantry. Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff in smart and clean uniforms. The supervisory staff coming in contact with guests should understand English. There should be provision for laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good standard and good quality linen, blanket, towels etc., should be provided. Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glass-wares should be of a good quality. One Star Category General Features - The general construction of building should be in a good locality and environs, including immediate approach should be suitable. The hotel should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of which at least 25% should have attached bathrooms with a common bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms. At least 25% of the bathrooms should have western style W/Cs. All bathrooms should have modern sanitation and running cold water with adequate supply of hot water, soap and toilet paper. The rooms should be properly ventilated and should have clean and comfortable bed and furniture. Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone and a telephone for the use of guests and visitors. There should be a clean and moderately well equipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome food and there should be a clean, well-equipped kitchen and pantry. Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff in smart and clean uniforms and the senior staff coming in contact with guests should possess working knowledge of English. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good standard and clean and good quality linen, blankets, towel, etc., should be supplied. Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glassware should be of good quality.

According to Ownership and Management 1. Independent Hotels (hotel consortia / cooperation) – These hotels are on ownership basis and do not have any affiliation or contract through any other property. And also they do not have any tie-up with any other hotels with regards to policy, procedures and financial obligations. The advantage in this type of hotel is that they need not maintain a particular image and they are not bound to maintain any set targets, but can independently adapt quickly to the changing trends. 2. Chain / Group Hotels (public owned / franchise) - There are many single owner hotels, yet more and more hotels and motels are now getting affiliated to each other. This gives them the advantage of a large central organization providing reservation system, management services, financial strength, expertise, manpower specialities, merchandises and promotional help. 3. Management Contractual Hotel – is another type of chain organization which manages properties owned by other individuals or partners. The contract is entered on long term basis between the owner and the operator and usually as per the contract: § owner retains the legal and financial responsibilities § operator pays for the operating expenses and collects from the owner an agreed upon fees § owner is responsible for paying taxes, insurance and servicing debt. 4. Franchise and Referral Group: Franchising is a method of distribution whereby on entity that has developed a particular pattern or format for doing business. Franchise organisations typically have set standards for designing, décor, equipment and operating procedures to which all its properties must adhere. Referral groups consist of independent hotel which have branded together for some common purpose, there is sufficient consistency in the quality of service to satisfy guest expectations.

According to Type of Plan (Tariff Pattern) 1. European Plan - In this case only the lodging i.e. bed is offered. Thus the charges are made for lodging only. The guest is free to take or not to take teas, breakfast, and meals in the hotel. He has a choice of eating out at any other good restaurant. The guest is booked to pay for lodging only and is charged separately for all other things or services he enjoys or consumes. This system is generally followed by youth hostels or hotels which are situated in metropolitan cities. In India most of the hotels are being run on European plan. Almost all the public sector hotels are run on this basis. 2. Continental Plan - In the case of continental plan, bed and breakfast are included in the tariff charges. Thus bed is offered along with breakfast and the guest is, however, free to take his meal and tea as he likes. Thus the guest tariff includes lodging and ‘bed and breakfast’ and for other he is separately billed. 3. American Plan - Hotel where American plan is prevalent, boarding and lodging is provided in the charge. The tariff fixed includes board and lodging. It is an all inclusive full board tariff. Accommodation and three meals daily are included in the price of the room. It includes bed, breakfast and two principal meals and evening tea. It does not include EMT or coffee after lunch, or dinner. The needs are usually 'table d'hote menu'. It is also known as 'full pension'. This analysis is mostly used at those tourist resorts, which are not situated in big cities. 4. Modified American Plan -The tourists mostly prefer this plan, as it is comparatively more flexible. It is offered in most of the good hotels and is normally by arrangement. It includes hotel accommodation, breakfast and either lunch or dinner in the price of the room. Thus, in this type of accommodation bed and breakfast and along with it one principal meal, lunch or dinner at the discretion of the guest is also included. It generally includes continental breakfast and either 'table d’hôte lunch or dinner in the room rates. It is also known as 'demi-pension'. It has been observed that the Indian style local hotels in India follow the European plan. However, and the western style hotels operating in India which cater the foreign tourists, operates on the American plan.

According to Size Classification is made based on the number of lettable rooms. It can be indicated either by rooms as is done in America or by the number of beds as is done in Europe. . Small hotels: 25 rooms or less . Average hotels: 25 rooms to 90 rooms . Above average hotels: 80 rooms to 250 rooms . Large hotels: 250 rooms and above . Very large: More than 600 rooms.

According to Visitors Stop-over 1. Residential Hotels - Residential hotels are also called as apartment hotels or apartment house. Room in a residential hotel is sold on a monthly or yearly basis. Rooms may be furnished or unfurnished, single or suite. Almost all residential hotels operate a restaurant, offer telephone service, laundry and valet service. Advance rents are usually collected while other charges are billed weekly. These types of hotels normally operate on European plan. Cooperative hotels and condominiums in which the tenants own the apartment and pay the management a fee for maintenance are new entrant. 2. Semi Residential Hotels - These hotels provide accommodation to guests on weekly or monthly basis like residential hotels as well as on per day basis like transient hotels. Reduced rates are provided to long staying guests. Transient guests who want to take advantage of reduced rates for longer stay also come to such establishments. 3. Transient / Transit Hotels - Hotel guests who fall under the category of transient guests are those who are en route guests i.e. who are in the process of moving from one destination to another and stop at the hotel for a short period of time as against a terminal guest who has reached his final destination. Hence hotels, which cater to a transient / transit guest are called transient hotels. They find their origin in olden days inns. Examples of transient hotels are motels, motor hotels, airport hotels etc. 4. Resort Hotels - Resort hotels are located at resort places such as islands, exotic locations, hill stations, beaches and health resorts and spas i.e. summer resorts, winter sports resorts and all season resorts etc. with breathtaking beauty and typical scenery. People go to these places for relaxation, to enjoy themselves, and to get away from the hectic and demanding city life or for health reasons away from hectic city life or to pursue a specific interest / activity.

According to its Relationship with Transport 1. Motels - Motels, motor hotels and motor courts are designed to serve the needs of motorists. They must provide car parking, garage, accommodation, rest facilities and recreational facilities and hence motels are generally equipped with filling stations, motor garage, service stations, accessories, elevator service to automobile entrants, restaurants etc. The tariff is very low as compared to city hotels. They have easy access from highways, being located on highways or at road junctions. Motel accommodation is ranked with hotels in general in many countries. 2. Railway Hotels - These type of hotels are located near the railway stations. These hotels provide temporary lodging and food to the railway passengers. Mostly owned by the railway authorities. 3. Airport Hotels - The location of airports far away from cities, the growth of the airline industry, the increase in air traffic and the postponement or cancellation of flights has made the airlines companies responsible to take care of hundreds of transit passengers and built the hotels near the airports. The glaring example of such hotels is the Centaur Hotel at Delhi and Bombay owned by Hotel Corporation of India, a, subsidiary of Air India. These hotels get business from other travelers who require a place to rest while waiting for connecting flights. Many travelers prefer to arrive at the airport the night before and get a good night rest at these airport hotels. In addition to room, restaurant facilities, coffee shop and main dining room, most hotels have added banquet and meeting rooms to attract the social functions and meetings from companies located nearby, in order to run their business profitably. In most of the big cities these hotels are favorite location for area meetings 4. Floating Hotels - This type of hotels are located on the surface of water such as sea, lake etc. Such hotels provide exclusive and exotic atmosphere. All the facilities of a first class hotel are there in this category of hotels. Inmany countries old luxury ships have been converted into floating hotels. In India in Kashmir valley, houseboats are used as first class luxury hotels. They provide wonderful experience to a tourist. The First Floating Hotel of India, a Rs. 31 crores hotel with four storeys, will be operational in Kolkata very soon. The hotel with a coffee shop and 73 rooms and three suites can be called as the First Floating Hotel of India.

According Type of Patronage  Hotels catering to women only  Hotels catering to families only  Hotels catering to commercial men only  Hotels catering to high society or affluent category only  Hotels catering to retired people only  Hotels catering to students only According to Length of According to Location Operating Period  Resort hotels. · Suburban hotels  Seasonal hotels  Airport hotels (Airtel)  Two-seasonal hotels  Sea side hotels or Beach hotels or  Year around hotels Coastal hotels  Transient hotels According to Purpose  Country hotels o International hotels  Floating Hotels o Commercial hotels.  City hotels o Hostels  Highway hotels o Business hotels  Town center hotels (down-town hotels) o Holiday hotels  Space resorts o Transient hotels  Hill or mountain hotels o Resort hotels  Ski resorts / Ski lodges o Motels  Boatels o Inns  Hotels o Convention hotels  Inland hotels

According to rates and meal plan The main source of income for a hotel is by the sale of room space. In the hotel industry, all rooms are not the same. There are various types of rooms depending on the size, location and category of the hotel. The types of and rates of rooms not only differ from hotel to hotel but also within the hotel, depending on real estate and construction costs. The level of luxury and the type of bedding also determines the room rate to be charged. Various terms, codes and descriptions have been created by various hotels worldwide to represent room tariffs and types. In the past it was difficult as different hotels used different codes. Due to computerisation the room types and codes have become standardised. Normally, hotels have four rate categories: 1. Rack Rates Rack rates are normal room rates. It is based on the category of the room, type of bedding and occupancy. Unless specified, guests are quoted the rack rates and are charged for the same. 2. Group and Tour Rates Group and Tour rates are a discounted room rate for an organisation, which has blocked a large number of rooms. Most hotels have group rates that are lower than the rack rates. This rate is generally extended to a trade association or fraternal organisation that has scheduled a meeting, seminar or conference at the hotel. Discounts are also offered to a tour operator, in return for a commitment to purchase a minimum number of rooms over a given period of time. They are usually regular customers for the hotel. 3. Special and Promotional Rates Special and promotional rates are offered to corporate travellers, traveling sales representatives, military personnel, airlines staff or other regular clients. Some times special rates are also offered along with an advertising campaign or to promote the hotel during lean periods. 4. Package Rates Package rates are offered to the public along with other services such as banquet or a ball, or recreational facilities or a special event. Such a package normally includes accommodation, tickets to the concerned event, transportation from hotel to the venue and back and pick-up service. Other popular packages offered by hotels are honeymoon, weekend, Christmas, New Year or any other special event and sports activity. The package rate is normally lower than the combined component or rack rate.

According to Tariff Based on Room Category The tariff also varies as per room categories. Every hospitality establishment has different types of rooms available but the most common type of rooms available in large hotels are A - Deluxe (Maximum Rate), B - Superior (Moderate Rate), C – Standard (Minimum Rate), D - Economy (Promotional rate). The accommodation is also categorized depending on occupancy rates charged accordingly. Su - Suite, S - Single occupancy, D – Double occupancy.

Category Type of Accommodation 1. Deluxe Room: offers the best location in the hotel and offers best view, highest level of comfort with matching furnishings and decor. The amenities include a fully stocked bar or refrigerator and the room has king or queen beds. 2. Superior Room: is a medium rate room usually located on the ground floor with a good view and may have a double king or queen bed. 3. Standard Room: is a regular room consisting of one or two double beds, a queen bed or two twin beds. They may not have either a good view or a good location. 4. Economy Room: generally a room reserved for promotional or discounted rates and may have under sized beds, small floor plan or a mediocre location. 5. Suite normally consists of two rooms -a living room and a sleeping room. It may some times also have a kitchenette or conference room. The other amenities provided are a stocked bar and refrigerator.

According to Tariff Based on Bedding Besides the variation in the rooms and tariff, the bedding also normally has following categories. They are K-King-sized bed; Q- Queen sized bed, D-Double bed, T-Twin bed and S-Single Bed. 1. King-sized Bed: is the latest style and is equal to two twin beds side by side. One or two king beds are normally provided in deluxe rooms or suites. 2. Queen-sized Bed: A queen bed is about 10 to 25% smaller than the king sized bed, but 25% bigger than the standard bed. A queen bed may be provided in any category of rooms, as some hotels do not distinguish between queen beds and double beds. 3. Double Bed The standard sized double bed is about 25% smaller than the queen bed and is provided in any room category. 4. Twin Bed The twin bed is about half the size of a king bed and a room normally has two twin beds. 5. Single Bed A single bed may refer to one twin bed or one bed of any size provided in a room, which is rented out for single occupancy.

According to Tariff Based on Special Rates A number of hotels offer special discounted rates as under: 1. Corporate Rate: This rate is given to corporate travellers, who normally form the cream of a hotel's occupancy. To earn this discount, the company may have to guarantee a minimum number of rooms to be occupied during a particular period. Some hotels offer this corporate rate to any business traveller irrespective of the employer. 2. Government Rate: This rate is normally given to employees of the government, usually on the basis of a contract between the government department and the hotel. Discounted rate may also be given to government personnel holding a valid ID to encourage regular business. 3. Military Rate This is offered to personnel of the armed forces, either on the basis of a contract or to encourage repeat business. 4. Agent Rate This rate is offered to travel agents and airline personnel, which may not be valid during the peak seasons. 5. Salesperson Rate: These rates are mostly offered at motels to traveling salespersons during the off-season. 6. Local Business Rate: These rates may be offered to preferred business houses in the local community, which includes a discount and guaranteed availability. 7. Day Rate This rate is applicable to guests who stay only during the day without staying overnight. 8. Package Rates :These rates are often offered during the lean season or as a promotional venture. These include weekend packages or promotional packages like a three night’s and two days stay which include meals and other recreational facilities. 9. Group and Tour Discount: The hotel, normally offers group and tour discounts to increase or maintain occupancy throughout the year in return for a commitment to purchase a fixed number of rooms. 10. Guaranteed Availability : If a hotel normally has a high occupancy rate, the group rate offered may be only guaranteed availability of a fixed number of rooms, without offering a discount.

According to Tariff Based on Meal Plan The meal plans are usually of five types. 1. European Plan: Under this plan the room rate charged does not include any meals, which must be purchased separately. 2. American Plan : This has two types: Full American Plan – under this plan the room rates include all three meals, but exclude beverages, which must be purchased separately. Modified American Plan - Here the room rate includes two meals (normally continental breakfast and dinner), excluding alcoholic beverages, which must be purchased separately. 3. Continental Plan: Under this, room rate includes continental breakfast. 4. Bed And Breakfast Plan: Under this plan, the room rate includes a full breakfast.

According to hotel guests: A hotel customer or client is called a guest because the hotel offers homely and professional service to him, and establishes an intimate relationship with him during his stay. Hotel guests may be defined as “people who have, who are, or who will be availing the services of hotel, for a particular period in order to satisfy their demand for accommodation, food and beverage or entertainment, for which they are willing and able to pay”. Guest relation is the integral part of the hotel industry. It is a means for the management to reach out to the guest and convey to him the feeling of warmth and welcome.

Guest Classification A guest may be classified under following headings: 1. Guests on the basis of presence in the hotel: an expected guest, an in- house guest and check out guest. 2. Guests on the basis of recognition: regular guest, V.I.P., special attention and distinguished guest and new guests 3. Guests on the basis of revenue: paying guests and Complimentary Guests TYPES OF ROOMS The size and furnishing of a room solely depends on the type of the hotel and the classification of rooms. 1. Single Room A single room has a single bed for single occupancy. It is a standard room having a dressing-cum-writing table. 2. Double Room It is a room with one double bed meant for two people. It is a standard room having a dressing-cum-writing table. 3. Deluxe Room This room is well furnished, carpeted and more suitable for single persons and small families. Deluxe Rooms are available with Single and Double beds. 4. Twin Room A room with two single beds meant for two people having only one bedside table between the two beds. 5. Hollywood Twin It is a room with two single beds and one single headboard meant for two people. When need arises, the two beds can be bridged together to make it appear as a double room. 6. Studio The studio room is the room for the guest with option of self catering. It has a queen size bed, air conditioning, fan and screens. There is also a dining area and a seating area. 7. Suite A suite in a hotel mostly denotes a class of luxury rooms. Suites offer more space and furniture than a basic hotel room. In addition to the standard bed and bedroom fixtures, a suite will typically add a living room, usually with a couch that folds into a bed. Dining, office and kitchen facilities are also added in some suites. Many large hotels have one or more "honeymoon suites", and sometimes the best room is called the "presidential suite". Some hotels now offer only regular suites. Regular suites are particularly aimed at business travelers who would both appreciate additional space and may use it to host small meetings or entertain guests. 8. Penthouse Suite A penthouse suite i s mostly on the highest floors of hotel building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other rooms by luxury features. A penthouse suite may also provide occupants with private access to the roof space above the suit, instead of or in addition to terrace space created by an adjacent sitback. 9. Parlour A parlour is a room equipped and furnished for a special function or business. It is generally a lavishly decorated room with more facilities like bar, pantry, massage. Usually the room is sold on hourly basis. 10. Executive Room It is larger bedroom with a sitting area provided with chairs and usually sofa. There is a dressing table as well as a writing table. 11. Duplex Room A set of rooms not on the same level but it is connected by an internal staircase. Generally, the parlour is at the lower level and the bedrooms are at the upper level. 12. Interconnected Rooms Two rooms adjacent to each other having an interconnecting door allowing entry from one room to another, without having to go through the corridor. The interconnecting doors can be opened or locked as per the guest’s choice. 13. Efficiency Room It is a room with some kitchen facilities found in motels and residential hotels. 14. Cabana Cabana is generally a shelter on a beach or at a swimming pool used as a bathhouse. But now some hotels provide cabana with contemporary beauty, comfort, protection and privacy with all basic facilities alongside the swimming pool, on the beach, in the garden and in any lounging area to individual guests for occupation. The rent for cabana is usually less as they would not have luxurious décor. 15. Sico Sico room is a smart solution to space efficiency. Sico rooms usually have special beds which can be folded according to the guest’s need. Guests get a meeting room by day and a sleeping room by night, with the comfort of a real mattress. With most meetings today consisting of ten people or less, Sico rooms offer the flexibility to accommodate small meetings without tying up large meeting rooms. HERITAGE HOTELS ‘Heritage Hotels’ cover running hotels in palaces/castles/forts/havelies/hunting loges/ residence of any size built prior to 1950. The facade, architectural features and general construction should have the distinctive qualities and ambience in keeping with the traditional way of life of the area. The architecture of the property to be considered for this category should not normally be interfered with. Any extension, improvement, renovation, change in the existing structures should be in keeping with the traditional architectural styles and constructional techniques harmonizing the new with the old. After expansion/renovation, the newly built up area added should not exceed 50% of the total built up (plinth) area including the old and new structures. For this purpose, facilities such as swimming pools, lawns etc. will be excluded. Heritage Hotels will be sub-classified in the following categories: Heritage: This category will cover hotel in Residences/Havelies/Hunting Lodges/Castles/Forts/ Palaces built prior to 1950. The hotel should have a minimum of 5 rooms (10 beds). Heritage Classic: This category will cover hotels in Residences/Havelies/Hunting Lodges/Castles/Forts/ Palaces built Prior to 1935. The hotel should have a minimum of 15 room (30 beds). Heritage Grand: This category will cover hotels in Residence/Havelies/Hunting Lodges/Castles/Forts/ Palaces built prior to 1935. The hotel should have minimum of 15 rooms (30 beds).

Front Office What is the ‘front office’? When people decide that they want or might want, to stay in a hotel, they may.  Check out the hotels, and e-mail the reservation department to ask about room rates and availability  Telephone the hotel or switchboard and ask to speak to someone(perhaps in the reservation department) about room rates and availability, the facilities and location of the hotel and other information that will help them make the decision to book.  Walk in off the street and approach the front desk to ask about room rates and availability (perhaps test out the friendliness and general ‘look’ of the hotel). When the guest make the decision on the exact room to book with the given number of nights, there may be some follow up correspondence to confirm the booking, give extra information (such as maps on how to get to the hotel) or make adjustments to the booking as the guest’s plans change. When the guest arrives, (s)he will go to a reception desk to register, be allocated a room & receive a room key (with information about the facilities and service of the hotel). There may be a porter to help the guest with luggage or to show the room to the guest. In a small hotel, front office functions may be carried out by a single person at a reception area or front desk: answering the switchboard, taking bookings, welcoming and registration guests, billing and processing payment and so on. In a large hotel, there may be separate departments dividing these responsibilities, including:  Switchboard: taking and routing telephone calls  Reservation: taking bookings  Reception (or front office): welcoming and registering guests at the main reception desk  Concierge / enquiries: answering guests’ and visitors’ questions; handling mail and guest keys; perhaps also handling car hire, tour booking and entertainment tickets for guests  Billing office: preparing guests’ accounts and bills  Cashier: receiving guests’ payments and processing other financial transactions (currency exchange)  Uniform staff: luggage porters, lift attendants, doormen, cloakroom attendants, garage attendants or valet parking etc.

Guest cycle: Pre-arrival: During the pre-arrival stage the prospective customer makes a decision as to which hotel to patronize. Arrival: This is the second major stage of guest contact with hotel. The major activities at this time are registration and rooming and both the guest and hotel enter with a binding contract. During stay: This is the third stage and major activities during this stage are guest accounts keeping, his complaints and suggestions handling etc. also refered to “On going responsibilities” stage for hotel. Departure: This is the fourth stage. It involves mainly the bill settlement of the guest. Food and Beverages The food & beverage cycle Most food & beverage businesses operate within the cycle & the different stages of the cycle present both challenges & opportunities for operators

TYPES OF CATERING There are two main types of catering on-premises and offpremises catering that may be a concern to a large and small caterer. On-premise catering for any function - banquet, reception, or event - that is held on the physical premises of the establishment or facility that is organizing / sponsoring the function. On-premise catering differs from off-premise catering, whereby the function takes place in a remote location, such as a client’s home, a park, an art gallery, or even a parking lot, and the staff, food, and decor must be transported to that location. Off-premise catering often involves producing food at a central kitchen, with delivery to and service provided at the client’s location. Part or all of the production of food may be executed or finished at the location of the event.

A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared food to customers. Service is generally for eating on premises, though the term has been used to include take-out establishments and food delivery services. The term covers many types of venues and a diversity of styles of cuisine and service

TYPES OF RESTAURANTS Restaurants often specialize in certain types of food or present a certain unifying, and often entertaining, theme. For example, there are seafood restaurants, vegetarian restaurants or ethnic restaurants. Generally speaking, restaurants selling "local" food are simply called restaurants, while restaurants selling food of foreign origin are called accordingly, for example, a Chinese restaurant and a French restaurant. A cafeteria is a restaurant serving mostly cooked ready to food arranged behind a food-serving counter. There is little or no table service. Typically, a patron takes a tray and pushes it along a track in front of the counter. Fast-food restaurants emphasize speed of service and low cost over all other considerations. A common feature of newer fastfood restaurants that distinguishes them from traditional cafeteria is a lack of cutlery or crockery; the customer is expected to eat the food directly from the disposable container it was served in using their fingers. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffetstyle restaurants, casual dining restaurants typically provide table service. Casual dining comprises of a market segment between fast food establishments and fine dining restaurants. Cafés and coffee shops are informal restaurants offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. Cafés offer table service. Many cafés are open for breakfast and serve full hot breakfasts. In some areas, cafés offer outdoor seating. Coffeehouses are casual restaurants without table service that emphasize coffee and other beverages; typically a limited selection of cold foods such as pastries and perhaps sandwiches are offered as well. Their distinguishing feature is that they allow patrons to relax and socialize on their premises for long periods of time without pressure to leave promptly after eating. A pub (short for public house) is a bar that serves simple food fare. Traditionally, pubs were primarily drinking establishments with food in a decidedly secondary position, whereas the modern pub business relies on food as well, to the point where gastropubs are known for their high-quality pub food. A typical pub has a large selection of beers and ales on tap. Bistros and Brasserie: A brasserie is a café doubling as a restaurant and serving single dishes and other meals in a relaxed setting. A bistro is a familiar name for a café serving moderately priced simple meals in an unpretentious setting. Especially in Paris, bistros have become increasingly popular with tourists. Ethnic Restaurants: They range from quick-service to upscale. Their menus usually include ethnic dishes and / or authentic ethnic foods. Specialize in a particular multicultural cuisine not specifically accommodated by any other listed categories. Example: Asian Cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Indian Cuisine, American Cuisine etc.

The housekeeping is the department of a hotel charged with cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces. From the time a guest checks-in in a hotel till he checks out, it is the housekeeping department which takes care of the guest by making his / her stay pleasant and comfortable.

Cooking is an act of preparing food for eating. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavour or digestibility of food. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result Culinary art is the art of cooking. The culinary arts profession is made up of people who work either directly or indirectly in the preparation and service of food items in the public or private sector. Cuisine is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture

Kitchen organization “Partie system” is a method of kitchen organization which is formal, structured brigade and in most cases, only found in high quality kitchens and restaurants. Executive Chef The executive chef is in charge of everything related to the kitchen, including menu creation, staff and business management aspects. While the position requires extensive cooking experience and often involves actively cooking, the staff of benefit, it also involves a high level of management and business skills of the kitchen. They can also be referred to as the "chef" or "head chef". Although "head chef" may seem redundant, the word "chef" has come to be applied to any cook, kitchen helper or fast food operator, making the distinction necessary. Responsibilities of Executive Chef: §Full supervision of kitchen brigade §Kitchen staff recruitment and training §Menu planning §Supervision of inventory and stock control §Maintaining budgetary targets §Supervision of health & safety (HACCP) Sous Chef The sous-chef de cuisine (Deputy-chef of the kitchen) is the direct assistant of the executive chef and is second in command. He may be responsible for scheduling, and filling in for the executive chef when he or she is off-duty. The Sous Chef will also fill in for or assist the chef de partie (line cooks) when needed. Smaller operations may not have a sous chef, while larger operations may have multiple. The term "sous-chef" is pronounced like "su chef". Some sous chefs act as an expeditor. This means that they serve as the liaison between the restaurant’s customers and its line cooks. They deal with complaints regarding food quality. They also are in charge of coordinating cooking so that the wait staff delivers all food to the customers in a timely fashion and so that everyone sitting at a table is served at the same time. Responsibilities of Sous Chef: §Supervising the kitchen staff §Preparing and cooking meals to order §Demonstrating cooking techniques and proper equipment usage to the kitchen staff §Some menu planning §Some ordering of food and kitchen supplies Expediter or Announcer (Aboyeur) The expediter takes the orders from the dining room and relays them to the stations in the kitchen. This person also often puts the finishing touches on the dish before it goes to the dining room. In some operations this task may be done by either the executive chef or the sous chef. Chef de Partie A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "First Cook", then "Second Cook", and so on as needed. Chef Saucier (sauce chef) is responsible for all sautéed items and their sauce. This person prepares sauces, stews and hot hors d'oeuvres and sautés food to order. Although it is the highest position of the station cooks, the saucier is still considered subordinate to the chef and the sous-chef. Chef Entremetier prepares hot appetizers and often prepares the soups, vegetables, pastas and starches. In a full brigade system a potager would prepare soups and a legumier would prepare vegetables. Chef entremetier is also responsible for peeling and cutting vegetables. Chef Garde Manger (Larder) is a French term meaning "keeping to eat" or "keeper of the food", refers to the task of preparing and presenting cold foods. These typically include such food items as salads, hors d'oeuvres, cold soups, aspics, and charcuterie. Larger restaurants and hotels may have the need for the garde manger to perform additional duties, such as creating decorative elements of buffet presentation like table arrangements and edible centerpieces made from materials such as ice, cheese, butter, salt dough or tallow. In most modern kitchens however, the garde manger is synonymous with pantry chef, having duties focusing on salads, soups, cold food items, and dessert platings. It is usually the entry-level line cook position within a restaurant. Chief Butcher is responsible for the preparation of meat. The butcher has the techniques of cutting, slicing and removing the bones from the meat. Chef Poisonnier prepares fish dishes and often does all fish butchering as well as appropriate sauce. This station may be combined with the saucier position. Chief Steward is responsible for the washing of dishes and cleanliness of the kitchen and looking for the good hygiene. Pastry Chef (Pâtissier) is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, and other baked goods. The responsibilities of a pastry chef can include duties such as menu planning, costing, and ordering. Day- to-day operations can also require the pastry chef to research recipe concepts and develop and test new recipes. The pastry chef is often in charge of the dessert menu, which besides traditional desserts may include dessert wines, specialty dessert beverages, and gourmet cheese platters. Chief Baker is responsible for the supervision of the baker staff as directed by the Pastry Chef Supervisor. Assists in the preparation and cooking of all bakery products, follow the HACCP procedures as set by the company. Chef Tournant is responsible to replace those who are absent. Have to know a bit of all work to be able to replace them. Kitchen Assistants o An apprentice or (commis) in larger kitchens would work under a chef de partie or station chef in order to learn the station's responsibilities and operation. o A communard would be in charge of preparing the meal for the staff during a shift. This meal is often referred to as staff or family meal. o The escuelerie-dishwasher is the keeper of dishes, having charge of dishes and keeping the kitchen clean.

BACK OFFICE

A hotel back office is a room or space in a hotel that is set up to deal with some of the higher-level financial work and other issues facing this type of business. This section of the hotel also usually houses the offices of higher-level management personnel. Larger hotels or franchises in a chain may have more elements set up in the back office than smaller independently run hotels, which sometimes might not have a back office at all.

One of the most important functions of a hotel back office is a setup to deal with long-term financial information. Software companies commonly sell back office software for hotels that will help provide annual accounting reports or organize long-term financial details. This is in contrast to the front office, or front desk, of a hotel, where lower-level workers generally keep cash received from guests, and maintain current information on nightly or weekly financials, as well as credit card data for recent guests

Transport or transportation is the movement of people, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and space. Transport infrastructure consists of the fixed installations including roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations) and seaports. Passenger transport may be public, where operators provide scheduled services, or private. Freight transport has become focused on containerization, although bulk transport is used for large volumes of durable items.

Human powered transport, a form of sustainable transportation, is the transport of people and/or goods using human musclepower, in the form of walking, running and swimming. Animal powered transport is the use of working animals for the movement of people and commodities. Humans may ride some of the animals directly, use them as pack animals for carrying goods, or harness them, alone or in teams, to pull sleds or wheeled vehicles. Pipeline transport sends goods through a pipe; most commonly liquid and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes can also send solid capsules using compressed air. For liquids/gases, any chemically stable liquid or gas can be sent through a pipeline. Short distance systems exist for sewage, slurry, water and beer, while long distance networks are used for petroleum and natural gas. Cable transport is a broad mode where vehicles are pulled by cables instead of an internal power source. It is most commonly used at steep gradient. Typical solutions include aerial tramway, elevators, escalator and ski lifts; some of these are also categorized as conveyor transport. Spaceflight is transport out of Earth's atmosphere into outer space by means of a spacecraft. While large amounts of research have gone into technology, it is rarely used except to put satellites into orbit, and conduct scientific experiments.

Rail transport is where a train runs along a set of two parallel steel rails, known as a railway or railroad. The rails are anchored perpendicular to ties (or sleepers) of timber, concrete or steel, to maintain a consistent distance apart, or gauge. The rails and perpendicular beams are placed on a foundation made of concrete, or compressed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast. Alternative methods include monorail and maglev.

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails. It is also commonly referred to as train transport. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles run on a prepared flat surface, rail vehicles ("rolling stock") are directionally guided by the tracks on which they run. Track usually consists of steel rails, installed on ties (sleepers) and ballast, on which the rolling stock, usually fitted with metal wheels, moves.

The earliest evidence of a railway was a 6 kilometre (3.7 mi) Diolkos wagonway, which transported boats across the Corinth isthmus in Greece during the 6th century BC. Trucks pushed by slaves ran in grooves in limestone, which provided the track element. By 1550, narrow gauge railways with wooden rails were common in mines in Europe. By the early 17th century, wooden wagonways were common in England and Wales for transporting coal from mines to canal wharfs for transshipment to boats. The world's oldest working railway, built in 1758, is the Middleton Railway in Leeds. In 1764, the first gravity railroad in the United States was built in Lewiston, New York. The first iron plate railway, made with wrought iron plates on top of wooden rails, came into use in 1768.In 1803, William Jessop opened the Surrey Iron Railway in south London, arguably the world's first horsedrawn public railway The first permanent tramway wasthe Leiper Railroad in 1810. The invention of the wrought iron rail by John Birkinshaw in 1820 allowed the short, brittle, and often uneven, cast iron rails to be extended to 15 feet (4.6 m) lengths.These were succeeded by steel in 1857.

India.

The core of the pressure for building railways in India came from London in 1840s. For a century thereafter the basic policies and ultimate management of the Indian Railways were issued from London. The British built railways in India in order to intermesh the economies of the two countries. The first proposals for construction of railways in India were presented in 1844 to East India Company in London by, (a) East Indian Railway Company headed by R.McDonald Stephenson, and (b) Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company. Both E.I.R. and G.I.P.R were incorporated in England for the purpose of constructing railway lines in Calcutta and Bombay presidencies respectively. Though GIPR company was formed in 1844. George Stephenson could not see his Locomotives run on Indian soil as he died in 1848. The Railway Age dawned in India on 16th. April 1853, when the first train ran from Bombay to Thana, a distance of 21 miles(33.81 Km.) and took approximately 45 minutes, a 14 carriage long train drawn by 3 locomotives named Sultan, Sindh and Sahib.

Road: A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. Roads are typically smoothed, paved, or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel, though they need not be, and historically many roads were simply recognizable routes without any formal construction or maintenance. In urban areas, roads may pass through a city or village and be named as streets, serving a dual function as urban space easement and route. Road Transport provides basic infrastructure in connecting people of remote villages to the mainstream of national life. Mobility can perhaps be one of the major advantages of road transport over rail and sea transport. The motorcar provides the actual mobility so that people are no longer anchored to a particular holiday center, as they tended to be when they mostly travelled by train or ship. Speed is yet another factor which helps tourists to economize on time. The gradual spread of a network of roads has made hitherto not very accessible areas, easy to get to. The development of road transport is bringing about a fundamental change in the development of tourism in the growth of Resorts, Hotels and other services. The automobile provides greater freedom of travel and choice of destination. The provision of a good, well-linked road network, roadside services and facilities is a pre-requisite for the development of both domestic and international tourism. Indian roads are classified into the following five categories: • National Highway: - These are principal arterial routes connecting the union capital with the state capitals, major parts of various highways. • State Highways: - State highways connect state capitals with district headquarters, important cities and towns within a state, the national highways and the highways of adjacent states. • District Roads: - District roads take the traffic from the main roads to the interior of each district and to rural areas. • Classified Village roads connect villages or groups of villages with each other and to the nearest district road and other main highways. • Unclassified Village roads: - These are mostly earthen roads. Land transport There are many machines that we use for transporting people and goods on land.

 Cars: the first cars were developed in 1885 in Germany but became very popular in 1908 when Henry Ford invented the Model T car. Henry Ford developed mass production methods that made the car more affordable. By 1913, Ford's factory in Detroit in the United States could make a complete Model T car in 93 minutes and it sold for $500.

 Buses or coaches: the first buses were horse-drawn but now they are now powered by petrol, diesel, gas or electricity. There are local buses to travel around cities and towns and there are also buses, called coaches, which travel long distances.

 Trucks: trucks and semitrailers are used to transport most goods. In Australia, road trains are used to transport cattle or sheep or other goods. Road trains consist of several trailers being pulled by a diesel engine.

 Trains, including light rail, electric trains, freight trains, monorails and magnetic levitated (maglev) trains. Maglev trains use powerful electromagnets that lift the train above or below the track. Other magnets propel and guide the train. Maglev trains can travel very fast as there is no friction between the tracks and the train. See image 1

 Trams: the first trams, called streetcars or trolley cars, appeared in American cities in the 1830s. The first trams were horse-drawn but were later powered by electricity.

 Motorcycles, including mini-bikes. The first successful motorbike was produced in 1897 and the first sidecar in 1903.

 Bicycles: the first pedal bike was invented in 1863.

 Skateboards, scooters, segways and roller skates are mainly used for pleasure and for travelling short distances.

 There are also carts, coaches, buggies and other vehicles that are pulled by animals.

Water transport is movement by means of a watercraft— such as a barge, boat, ship or sailboat—over a body of water, such as a sea, ocean, lake, canal or river. The significant achievements in water transportation history highlighted in this infographic are: • The first sailing vessels, created more than 6,500 years ago • The construction of dams in ancient Egypt • The advent of the first rudders in Asia • Nautical innovations by the Dutch • The creation of reliable submarines in the 19th century • The opening of the “Chunnel” between England and France in the early 1990s Water transport0

Water transport consists of: (i) Inland water transport (ii) Ocean-transport Inland Water Transport: As shown in the chart, inland water transport consists of transport by rivers, canals and lakes. Rivers: Rivers are a natural waterway which can be used as a means of transport. They are suitable for small boats as well as big barrages. River transport played a very important role prior to the development of modern means of land transport. Their importance has gradually declined on account of more reliable and cheaper transport services offered by the railways. Canals: They are artificial waterways made for the purpose of irrigation or navigation or both. Canal transport requires a huge amount of capital investment in construction and maintenance of its track i.e., the artificial waterways. The cost of the canal transport is, therefore, higher than that of river transport. To add to it, the cost of providing water for the canals is also a very big problem of canal transport. Lakes: Lakes can be either natural like rivers or artificial like canals. Ocean transport includes: 1. Coastal Shipping 2. Overseas Shipping 1. Coastal Shipping: It is one of the most important means of transport for carrying goods from one part to another in a country. It is a cheaper and quicker mode of transport and is most suitable for carrying heavy, bulky and cheap traffic like coal, iron ore, etc. to distant places. But it can serve only limited areas. Earlier, coastal shipping in India was mainly in the hands of foreign shipping companies. But now from 1951 onwards, it is exclusively reserved for Indian ships. 2. Overseas Shipping: There are three types of vessels employed in the overseas shipping: (i) Liners, (ii) Tramps, (iii) Tankers. (i) Liners: Liners are the ships which have regular fixed routes, time and charges. They are, usually, a collection of vessels under one ownership, i.e., a fleet. They provide a uniform and regular service. Liners sail on scheduled dates and time, whether full of cargo or not. (ii) Tramps: Tramps are ships which have no fixed routes. They have no set rules or rate schedule. Usually, they do not sail till they have full cargo. They can be chartered by exporters and are ready to sail anywhere and at any time. They are not as fast in speed as liners. Tramps are more suitable to carry seasonal and bulky goods. (iii) Tankers: Tankers are the vessels which are specially designed to carry oil, petrol and such other liquids. They have a large capacity, 2 to 3 lakh tons of oil, and very shortly, we may have super tankers with a capacity of about 10 lakh tons of oil. A number of machines are used for transport on the ocean and waterways.

 Ships, including cruise ships and steamships. Steamships began to take over from sailing ships in the 1850s. They are used to transport passengers and freight across the seas and waterways.

 Paddle-steamers: these were mainly used to transport products along inland rivers. River transport declined from the 1880s but is still used in some areas today.

 Ferries, including passenger ferries and car ferries.

 Cargo ships, including container vessels, tankers and bulk carriers. These allow large amounts of freight to be transported across the ocean. The containers are large metal waterproof boxes which can be carried by train or semitrailer to the port. Oil and other liquids can be transported by ships called tankers.

 Naval ships: are used to defend countries and in war.

 Hydrofoils, hovercrafts and catamarans: mainly used to transport people.

 Speed boats and other pleasure craft are used for water-skiing and fishing and so on.

 Houseboats

 Submarines: mainly used in the navy.

 Boat-cars, such as the Aquada: a recent invention in 2003 that drives on both land and water.

Based on the data available on navigable waterways, compiled by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, 101 water bodies with a minimum length of 25 km is to be declared as national waterways.

National Waterway 1 Allahabad–Haldia stretch of the Ganges–Bhagirathi–Hooghly river system. Estd = October 1986. Length = 1620 km Fixed terminals = Haldia, BISN (Kolkata), Pakur, Farrakka and Patna. Floating terminals = Haldia, Kolkata, Diamond Harbour, Katwa, Tribeni, Baharampur, Jangipur, Bhagalpur, Semaria, Doriganj, Ballia, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chunar and Allahabad Cargo Movement = 3 million tonnes

National Waterway 2 Sadiya — Dhubri stretch of Brahmaputra river. Estd = September 1988. Length = 891 km Fixed terminals = Pandu. Floating terminals = Dhubri, Jogighopa, Tezpur, Silghat, Dibrugarh, Jamgurhi, Bogibil, Saikhowa and Sadiya Cargo Movement = 2 million tonnes

National Waterway 3 KottapuramKollam stretch of the West Coast Canal, Champakara Canal and Udyogmandal Canal. Estd = February 1993 Length = 205 km Fixed terminals = Aluva, Vaikom, Kayamkulam, Kottappuram, Maradu, Cherthala, Thrikkunnapuzha, Kollam and Alappuzha Cargo Movement = 1 million tonne

National Waterway 4 Kakinada–Pondicherry stretch of canals and the Kaluvelly Tank, Bhadrachalam – Rajahmundry stretch of River Godavari and Wazirabad – Vijayawada stretch of River Krishna. Estd = November 2008 Length = 1095 km

National Waterway 5 Talcher–Dhamra stretch of the Brahmani River, the Geonkhali Charbatia stretch of the East Coast Canal, the Charbatia–Dhamra stretch of Matai river and the Mangalgadi Paradip stretch of theMahanadi River Delta. Established = November 2008 Length = 623 km

National Waterway 6 NW6 is a proposed Waterway. In Assam, Lakhipur to Bhanga of river Barak. Established 2013 Length = 121 km

Air

A fixed wing aircraft, commonly called airplane, is a heavier than air craft where movement of the air in relation to the wings is used to generate lift. The term is used to distinguish this from rotary wing aircraft, where the movement of the lift surfaces relative to the air generates lift.

Air transport Many machines are used for transport through the air.

 Passenger planes: after the first flights, people realised that air travel could be used for regular passenger services.  Freight planes: used for transporting goods quickly over long distances.

 Fighter planes: used in the air force.

 Hot-air balloons: aviation began in Australia in 1858 when William Deane flew over Melbourne in a hot air balloon.

 Airships, sometimes called the zeppelin. These were primarily used before 1950 and were filled with hydrogen gas that weighs less than air, so they floated. They are no longer used to transport people.

 Helicopters: these can fly straight up, forwards, backwards or hover in one place.

 Sea-planes

 Jump jets: these do not need a runway to take off and land.

 Hang gliders and other gliders.

 Spacecraft including rockets and the space shuttle. Space travel is a relatively new form of transport, which began in the 1960s.

Scheduled = flight itineraries are known in advance (i.e. - commercial) Non-scheduled = flight itineraries are scheduled as needed (i.e. - charter)

An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft which makes short flights on demand.

In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) and the rise of light-jet aircraft manufacturing

Airlines traditionally have three travel classes, First Class, Business Class, and Economy Class. Depending on the cabin configuration will determine how many classes of service are offered. Here’s a breakdown of the classes of service:

• First Class, generally the most expensive and most comfortable accommodations available. • Business Class, high quality, traditionally purchased by business travelers (sometimes called executive class) • Premium Economy, slightly better Economy Class seating (greater distance between rows of seats; the seats themselves may or may not be wider than regular economy class) • Economy Class (also known as coach class or travel class), basic accommodation, commonly purchased by leisure travelers

Luxury trains are special trains designed specifically to offer an elegant train ride, and evoke a strong sense of association as in history, heritage and decadence of a leisurely ride. Luxury trains operate in several countries and offer a luxurious and comfortable traveling option to luxury travelers. Since the time of introduction of Pioneer in 1864 by American industrialist George Mortimer Pullman, luxury train travel has come a long way. In 1867, "Hotel Cars" were introduced. Pioneer was the first railway carriage to introduce dining cars and sleeping cars in train leading to more comfort during travelling, especially on long distance journeys. Pullman Car Company was founded in1880 and was one of the leading luxury passenger railroad car providers.

Palace on Wheels: The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The Palace on Wheels started on January 26 in 1982. The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. It is a train introduced in early eighties and consists of state carriages of the former Maharajas and special saloons used by Viceroys of India. It is very popular among foreign tourists. This is being diverted to Gujarat as Royal Orient Express and a new 14-coach train, a replica of the old one, has replaced it, which operates weekly every year from October to April. The ambience is of 18th century lifestyle of Rajasthani Maharajas. Rajasthan Tourism does the catering. The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine. It was voted the 4th luxurious train in the world in 2010. The Indian Railway has decided to start eight more trains like

Palace on Wheels in different parts of India. It leaves Delhi Cantonment and halts at some of the royal cities including Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. There are 23 coaches in the train. 104 tourists can travel in train. Each coach is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur.Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with luxury amenities and WiFi internet. The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja and The Mahārāni, with a Rajasthani ambiance serving continental, Chinese cuisine, one bar cum lounge, 14 saloons and a spa. Route: The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary departs from New Delhi (Day 1), and covers Jaipur (Day 2), Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh (Day 3), Udaipur (Day 4), Jaisalmer (Day 5), Jodhpur (Day 6), Bharatpur and Agra (Day 7), return to New Delhi (Day 8).

Royal Orient Express: The Royal Orient Train is an Indian luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states. The train started in 1994-95 as a joint venture of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat and the Indian Railways. The livery follows a blue scheme to differentiate it from the Palace on Wheels. There are 13 coaches in the train, named after erstwhile kingdoms of Rajputana. The coaches provide fivestar hotel comforts to passengers. Cabins are furnished in a palatial style and have spacious baths attached. There are multicuisine restaurants that offer Rajasthani, Gujarati, Indian, Chinese and continental cuisine. The Royal Orient train also has a bar on board, as well as a lounge in every coach where passengers can read books and magazines, watch television, listen to music and interact with other passengers. Other facilities include an intercom, channel music, TV, DVD system and a massage cum beauty parlor. Route The Royal Orient offers a 7day/ 8night package that covers important heritage tourist locations in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The train starts from Delhi Cantonment railway station and has stops at Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Junagarh, Veraval, Sasan gir, Ahmedpur, Mandvi, Palitana and Sarkhej. Some of the tourist spots covered are the Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi, Chittorgarh Fort and Rani Padmini's Palace in Chittorgarh, Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar in Jaipur.. The tariff for Royal Orient Express is US $ 350 per person per night on single occupancy.

Maharajas' Express The Maharajas' Express is a luxury train owned and operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. The luxury train service was started in March 2010. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and Cox and Kings India Ltd., had signed a joint venture to set up a company called Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd. (RIRTL) to oversee the functioning and management of the Maharaja Express. This joint venture was terminated on 12 August 2011 and the train is now being operated exclusively by IRCTC. It runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across NorthWest and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of October to April. The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, lounge, generator and store cars. Accommodation is available in 14 guest carriages with total passenger capacity of 88. The train also has a lounge called the Rajah Club with a private bar, two dining cars and a dedicated bar car. An onboard souvenir boutique offers memorabilia for passengers.The train is also equipped with a water filtration plant. Itineraries In the year 2012, IRCTC introduced five new journeys of the Maharajas' Express, of which two are shortterm Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur and Agra) tours and rest three are weeklong panIndian voyages. Heritage of India Duration: 7 Nights / 8 Days Destinations Covered: Mumbai – Ajanta – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Bikaner – Jaipur – Ranthambore – Agra Delhi Treasures of India Duration: 3 nights / 4 days Destinations Covered: Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Delhi. Gems of India Duration: 3 Nights / 4 Days Destinations Covered: Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Delhi Indian Panorama Duration: 7 Nights / 8 Days Destinations Covered: Delhi – Jaipur – Ranthambore – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra – Gwalior – Orchha – Khajuraho – Varanasi – Lucknow – Delhi The Indian Splendour Duration: 7 Nights OR 8 Days Destinations Covered: Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Bikaner – Jodhpur – Udaipur – Balasinor – Mumbai Indrail Pass: The Indian Railways doesn’t pay commission to its agents at domestic level. It charges service-tax from its clients. Indian Railways pay 10% commission on Indrail Passes sold by travel agents against foreign exchange. To encourage its sales, Railways has appointed GSAs in some countries. Tourist can book tickets through GSAs 360 days in advance. ITDC – INDIAN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The 3. 89 percent decrease in the number of tourists in the year 1962 for the first time from 139804 to 134360 against an increase of eight percent in the case of world arrivals and fourteen per cent in the case of Pacific region, prompted the government of India to appoint an Ad-hoc Committee on Tourism in 1963 under the chairmanship of Jha and the committee is popularly referred to as Jha Committee On 21st January 1965, as per the recommendation of the Jha Committee the India Tourism Hotel Corporation was established to construct and manage hotels in the public sector. On 31st March, 1965 Indian Tourism Corporation Ltd., was established to produce material for tourist publicity. On December Ist, 1964, Indian Tourism Transport undertaking was established to provide transportation facilities to tourists. In 1966 these three corporations were amalgamated and India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was formed on 1st October, 1966. First travel agency of ITDC out side its head quarters was opened in Gangtok, Sikkim, in 1982. ITDC concluded its first joint sector project agreement with Sima Hotel and Resorts Ltd., to set up the country's first family beach resort at Goa which has been named as the Canacona Ashok. The concept of "time sharing" in the country was introduced by ITDC at the family beach resort at Goa. ITDC is a public sector corporation created by the government to undertake major responsibilities in areas which the government, due to its own limitations, could not participate actively. It was set up in the year 1966 with the aim to undertake development, expansion and promotion of India as a tourist destination. It has the largest hotel chain in India that caters to travel, accommodation, duty free shopping, entertainment and restaurants under a single window. It can boast of having four thousand rooms in ITDC(s) 35 Hotels, Motels and Resorts. Its Hotels have been divided into the following three categories: Elite Classic Comfort

IATA International Air Transport Association The International Air Transport Association is an international trade organization of airlines headquarted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. IATA was formed just after World War II in April 1945, in Havana, Cuba. It is the successor to the International Air Traffic Association, founded in The Hague in 1919, the year of the world’s first international scheduled services. At its founding, IATA had 57 members from 31 nations, mostly in Europe and North America. Today it has over 270 members from more than 140 nations in every part of the globe. The main objective of the organization is to assist airline companies to achieve lawful competition and uniformity in prices. For fare calculations IATA has divided the world in three regions: 1. South and North America. 2. Europe, Middle East and Africa. IATA Europe includes the geographical Europe and the countries Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. 3. Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. IATA has developed the commercial standards that built a global industry. Currently the IATA’s mission is to do the following: Represent Lead Serve the airline industry Its members comprise of 265 airlines – the World’s leading passenger and cargo airlines among them – representing 94 percent of international scheduled air traffic. It is a global non-governmental organization that came into existence in Havana, Cuba in April 1945. The organization is a common platform for inter- airline co-operation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical services to the consumers. The mission of the lnternational Air Transport Association (lATA) is to represent four groups: airlines, the general public, governments and third parties such as travel and cargo. For the airlines, lATA offers joint means -beyond the resources of any single company -for developing opportunities and solving problems. Airlines knit their individual networks into a worldwide system through the association, despite differences in language, currencies, laws and national customs. For governments, industry working standards are developed within lATA. lt is thus the most effective source of airline experience and expertise upon which governments can draw. ln fostering safe and efficient air transport, the association serves the stated policy of most of the world's governments. lATA saves much effort and expense otherwise expended in bilateral negotiations on, for example, tariffs. For third parties, lATA serves as a collective link between them and the airlines. Passenger and cargo agents are able to make representations to the industry through the Association and derive the benefit of neutrally applied agency service standards and levels of professional skill. Equipment manufacturers and others are able to join in the airline meetings which define the way air transport goes about its business. For the general public, lATA simplifies the travel and shipping process. By helping to control airline costs, it contributes to cheaper tickets and shipping costs. Thanks to airline cooperation through lATA, individual passengers can make one telephone call to reserve a ticket, pay in one currency and then use the ticket on several airlines in several countries. The modern lATA is part of the structure of post Second World War aviation which grew out of the Chicago Conference of 1944 (it replaced the lnternational Air Traffic Association of 1919). ln both organisation and activity, lATA has been closely associated with the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nation's specialised agency for civil aviation. lATA's headquarters is in Montreal, with its main executive office is in Geneva and regional offices in Amman, Brussels, Dakar, London, Nairobi, Santiago, Singapore and Washington DC. ln addition, there are fifty seven offices around the world responsible for agency services, billing and settlement plans and cargo account settlements.

International Civil Aviation Organisation The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a United Nations-related organisation that encourages the development and application of quality air travel Established in 1944 this is a specialised agency of the United Nations whose purpose was set forth at the Chicago Convention which was originally signed by fifty-two countries The Convention agreed on certain principles and arrangements in order that civil aviation might be developed in a safe and orderly manner and that international services might be established on the basis of equality of opportunity and operated soundly and economically Although responsible for developing international rules governing all areas of civil aviation ICAO essentially exists to allow anyone to fly safely and comfortably in a commercial aircraft anywhere in the world The specific goals of ICAO include facilitation of civil air travel by reducing the obstacles placed on the passage of people and cargo across international borders by immigration customs and public health; the establishment of international air transport that is based on equality of opportunity and operated both soundly and economically; the standardisation of each technical field within aviation; the development of technical cooperation that will assist developing countries in their opportunities for access to safe civil aviation; regional planning for aviation problems that cannot be dealt with on a worldwide scale; development of a standard code of international air law which covers rules governing the environment; and development of a satellite-based system concept to meet the future communications navigation and surveillance/air traffic management needs of civil aviation According to the terms of its constitution ICAO is made up of an Assembly a Council of limited membership with various subordinate bodies and a Secretariat The chief officers are President of the Council and General Secretary As the governing body the Council gives continuing direction to the work of ICAO It is in the Council that standards and recommended practices are adopted and incorporated in the existing rules. The Secretariat is divided into five divisions: the Air Navigation Bureau, the Air Transport Bureau, the Technical Cooperation Bureau, the Legal Bureau and the Bureau of Administration and Services. ICAO works closely with other members of the UN organisation, which include the World Meteorological Organisation, International Telecommunication Union, Universal Postal Union, World Health Organisation and International Maritime Organisation. ICAO has numerous publications which fall under the following categories: conventions and related acts; agreements and arrangements; rules of procedure and administrative regulations; annexes to the convention of civil aviation; and procedures for air navigation services The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the principal regulatory body in the field of civil aviation. It is not only responsible for regulation of air transport services to/ from/ within India, for formulation and enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards but also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has its Headquarters in New Delhi. This organization is headed by the Director General of Civil Aviation who is assisted by Joint Director General and Deputy Director General. The Director General has the following Directorates under him: There are 14 (fourteen) Regional Airworthiness Offices located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Bhopal, Lucknow, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Kanpur, Guwahati and Patiala

Apart from the Regional Airworthiness Offices, there are 5 (five) Regional Air Safety offices located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderebad and 1 (one) Gliding Centre at Pune. Representative of Research & Development directorate is also deputed to NAL, Bangalore for Research & Development activities. India is participated in ICAO by the Representative of India. FUNCTIONS: The main function of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is to regulate all civil aviation matter. Some of the salient functions are as under: Regulation of air transport services to/from/within India in accordance with the provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, including bilateral and multilateral with foreign countries and the policy pronouncements of the government; Registration of civil aircraft; Laying down airworthiness requirement for civil aircraft registered in India and grant of Certificate of Airworthiness to such aircraft; Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and monitoring of flight crew standards; Licensing of aerodromes and air carriers; Rendering advice to the Government on matters pertaining to civil aviation; Processing amendments to Aircraft Act, 1934 and the Aircraft Rules, 1937, and other Acts relating to aviation, with a view to implementing in India the provisions of the Chicago Convention and Annexes thereto and other International Convention relating to aviation; Co-ordination of the work relating to International Civil Aviation Organisation and sending replies to state letters after consulting the concerned agencies; Investigation of minor air accidents and incidents and rendering technical assistance to the Courts/Committees of Inquiry; Supervision of training activities of Flying/Gliding Clubs; Development of light aircraft, gliders and winches; Type certification of aircraft.

INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LIMITED Incorporated, in 1902, by Jamshed N. Tata of the Tata group, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India’s largest hospitality company. IHCL and its subsidiaries are collectively known as the ‘Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces’. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises of ~112 hotels (excluding Ginger properties) with 13,606 rooms at over 55 locations across India and globally (in the Maldives,Malaysia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Australia).

The Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is grouped into four distinct business segments - Luxury (Taj Mahal/Exotica), Upper Upscale (Vivanta), Upscale (Gateway), and economy/budget (Ginger) categories to provide consistency across the different hotels and standardise offerings. Of these, the luxury properties in metro and key leisure destinations are largely in the books of IHCL while the rest are held through subsidiaries and associates. The Group also operates a number of properties on pure management contracts. EIH LIMITED EIH Limited, founded in 1949 by Mr. P.R.S Oberoi, is the third largest hospitality company in India after Indian Hotels Company Limited and the ITC Welcome Group. It is the flagship company of the 1934 founded Oberoi Group which owns/manages luxury hotels across five countries under The Oberoi brand in the 5-star Deluxe category and the Trident brand in the 5-star category. EIH has a portfolio of 24 luxury hotels with an inventory of 3,721 rooms (March-11), three luxury cruises, Oberoi printing press and Oberoi Flight Services (a division that provides commercial in-flight catering and operates airport lounges and restaurants in India, Mauritius, Egypt and Indonesia). EIH’s associated businesses include Mercury Car Rentals for car rental operations, Corporate Air Charters and Mercury Travels for travel agency operations.

Hotel Leelaventure Limited Hotel Leelaventure Limited, founded by Capt. C. P. Krishnan Nair and headquarterd in Mumbai, owns the hotel chain The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts which manages seven hotels in India with a total inventory of 1,869 keys including business hotels in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, New Delhi and leisure properties in Goa, Kovalam and Udaipur. While the properties at Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Goa and Udaipur are owned by the company, Gurgaon is a management contract. The resort at Kovalam was also earlier owned by the company however it has been sold off in August 2011 while still remaining under a long term managmeent contract with Leela. Properties under development include Chennai followed by Agra, Jaipur and Ashtamudi, Kerala TAJGVK HOTELS & RESORTS LIMITED Incorporated in 2000, TAJGVK Hotels & Resorts Limited (TAJGVK) is a joint venture between Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and the Hyderabad based GVK Group. IHCL holds 25.5% stake in TAJGVK while the GVK group holds 49.5% stake; the balance is held by the public. TAJGVK currently has six 5-star/D properties with a cumulative inventory of 1,083 rooms. Of these four 5-star hotel properties are located in Hyderabad - an inventory of 717 rooms, viz. Taj Krishna, Taj Deccan, Taj Banjara and Vivanta by Taj Begumpet. The company also owns a 150 room hotel in Chandigarh (Taj Chandigarh) and a 220 room property in Chennai (Taj Club House) which opened in December 2008. The most recent addition to the inventory is the 181 key Vivanta at Begumpet launched

ORIENTAL HOTELS LIMITED Promoted by Mr. D.S. Reddy, a Chennai-based industrialist in 1970, Oriental Hotels Limited (Oriental Hotels) is an associate of Indian’s largest hotel company Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL). IHCL is the largest shareholder with 34.4% stake followed by the Reddy family with 22.8% stake. OHL has a portfolio of nine hotels with a room inventory of 1,016 rooms, located in three states in South India. The portfolio has a mix of 5-star D, 5-star and 4-star properties targeting the higher end business and the leisure traffic. Besides these domestic properties, Oriental Hotels has interests in various overseas properties like Taj Samudra (Sri Lanka), Taj Coral Reef Resort (Maldives), Taj Exotica (Maldives), St. James Court (London), through investments in its overseas subsidiaries, associates and joint venture companies. Most of these JVs and associates are in collaboration with IHCL

KAMAT HOTELS (INDIA) LIMITED Kamat Hotels (India) Limited (Kamat Hotels), incorporated in 1986 by the late Mr. Venkatesh Krishna Kamat is a hospitality company engaged in running hotels, restaurants and resorts. The company has established four hotel brands viz. The Orchid – An Ecotel Hotel in the 5-Star segment and VITS - Luxury Business Hotel in the 4-Star segment, Gadh Hotels and Lotus Resorts. The company currently has 16 hotels with a total inventory of 1,149 rooms spread across these four brands.Majority of these properties are either under franchisee or management contracts ROYAL ORCHID HOTELS LIMITED Incorporated in 1986, Royal Orchid Hotel Limited (Royal Orchid) is the flagship company of the Royal Orchid Group of Hotels. The group, comprises of 14 subsidiaries, five joint ventures and one associate company, with an inventory of 1,724 rooms and 20 operational properties pan India. The flagship five star property of the company, Hotel Royal Orchid is located in Bangalore. Historically skewed towards the Bangalore market, the company in the last few years has been setting its foothold in other cities (viz.) Mysore, Pune, Jaipur, Goa, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Mussorie, Gurgaon Shimoga, Vadodara and Hospet.