Jan-Feb 2015, Bi-Monthly Magazine Mystic East
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MYSTIC EAST ...nuggets galore Vol 1 | Issue 2 | January - February 2015 FHRAI-HVS Survey 2013-2014 IS THE HOTEL INDUSTRY COMING OUT OF THE TROUGH? 60.4% 4,729 60.9% 4,677 60.4% 4,507 62.1% 4,578 59.9% 4,149 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Average room rates — All India Average occupancy rates — All India A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE BY HRAEI Inside COVER STORY 30 January-February 2015 A COMPREHENSIVE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN 2013-14 BY FHRAI AND HVS INDIA AND ITS FUTURE OUTLOOK Building world class News-National infrastructure holds 8 36 the key to overall 16 News-International tourism growth Products & NEIIPP, 2007-Is a new Services-Blue Star avatar of the scheme 20 targets 10% of 39 on the anvil? room AC market State-wise Tax 28 Food & Cuisine 43 Structure MYSTIC EAST | 3 Inside 44 52 ARUNACHAL SURVEY The diversity of flora and fauna found in Arunachal Pradesh is amazing and it richly deserves to be among the world’s leading ‘Mega diversity hotspots’ Revised Hotel ASSAM SURVEY Classification Assam is ideally placed to capitalize on Centre’s ‘Act East’ policy 56 Guidelines EDITORIAL BOARD SUDESH PODDAR, This issue of Mystic East contains 60 pages including PRESIDENT, HRAEI cover and back cover NAVIN SUCHANTI, TREASURER, HRAEI All information in HRAEI’s Mystic East magazine is derived from sources we consider reliable RAVINDRA KUMAR KASHUKA, MANAGING and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. 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The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any material, solicited ‘Mystic East’ magazine is printed or unsolicited, nor is he responsible for material lost or damaged. and published by Atikram Gupta on behalf of This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any specific product or services offered. Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all Printed at CDC Printers Private Limited, No.45, advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with Indian and Radha Nath Chowdhury Road, Tangra Industrial International Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss Estate-II, Kolkata, West Bengal 700 015 caused by delayed publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear. 4 | MYSTIC EAST January - February 2015 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear fellow members, This is not all. The bounty, apparently, is inexhaustible. The FM has announced a I am sure that by the time this issue reaches sports university in Manipur besides creat- you, the Union Budget presented by our fi- ing an annual sports event in which SAARC nance minister, Mr Arun Jaitly, would have member countries and Indian states in- been dissected threadbare. We are, howev- cluding north-eastern states will compete er, delighted that the budget has begun the for honours. Other measures announced in process of converting the hitherto ‘Look the Union budget include development of East’ policy to ‘Act East’ with gusto. organic farming on commercial basis and The proof of the pudding is in the eating a 24x7 dedicated TV channel to generate and this is clearly evident from the slew of awareness about the culture and traditions projects which have been announced by of north-eastern states. It is heartening to the FM in his budget speech. The big bang note that most of our constituent states, in- announcement, without doubt, is the estab- cluding the Andamans (Rs 150 crores have Sudesh Poddar lishment of a project development compa- been provided to sort out its communica- ny which will set up manufacturing hubs tion-related problems) have received due in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam attention of the Central government. (CMLV) countries through separate spe- Before I sign off, I would like to inform cial purpose vehicles (SPVs) to channelise you that it is HRAEI’s privilege to host this investments from the Indian private sector year’s FHRAI Golden Jubilee Convention at and boost trade and commerce between the Bhubaneswar towards the end of Septem- land-locked Northeast India and Southeast ber. I will keep you posted with details as Asia. and when we tie up the loose ends. Carrying forward the commitment of PM I also take this opportunity to wish each one The proof of the Narendra Modi to expedite all round de- of you ‘Happy Holi’. pudding is in the velopment of the north-eastern region, the eating and this is FM has earmarked Rs 1000 crore over and With warm regards, above the amount provided for in the inter- clearly evident from im budget for expediting rail connectivity. the slew of projects Other major takeaways for the eight states which have been of Northeast India from the Union budget include setting up of an All India Institute announced by the of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Assam, an FM in his budget Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Nagaland, and a Centre speech for Film Production, Animation and Gam- Sudesh Poddar ing in Arunachal Pradesh. President, HRAEI MYSTIC EAST | 5 MESSAGE SECRETARY’S MESSAGE Dear fellow members, surrounding tourist destinations across In- dia. Not many would be aware that the Ar- The Union Budget for 2015-16 presented chaeological Survey of India (ASI) had then by finance minister Arun Jaitly promises agreed to ONGC proposal for adopting six to extend visa on arrival facilities to 150 monuments under the Clean India Cam- countries in a phased manner - up from paign. The six monuments/destinations 43 countries currently and also commence adopted by ONGC include: Taj Mahal, Agra, work on restoration of several world her- Ellora and Elephanta caves in Maharashtra, itage sites to attract more tourists to these Red Fort in Delhi, Golconda Fort in Hyder- destinations. This restoration work would abad and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. include landscape restoration; signage and What Mr Jaitly is now proposing needs to interpretation centres; parking; access for be pursued with vigour with active involve- the differently abled; visitors’ amenities; ment of corporate (as part of their CSR), illumination and plans for benefiting com- NGOs and the local community so that the momentum can be sustained through own- Pranav Singh munities around them. To begin with the following sites are being taken up for resto- ership and involvement of all stakeholders. ration work: At a later stage this campaign could be ex- tended to pilgrimage tourism as well. (i) Churches & Convents of Old Goa (ii) Hampi, Karnataka (iii) Elephanta Caves, Mumbai (iv) Kumbalgarh and other Hill Forts of Rajasthan (v) Rani ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat (vi) Leh Palace, Ladakh, J&K It was part of (vii) Varanasi Temple town, UP government strategy (viii) Jalianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab laid out in the 12th (ix) Qutub Shahi Tombs, Hyderabad, Telengana five-year plan for improving the quality It is worth recalling that a similar exercise was undertaken by the UPA government in of services and 2013 and the ‘Clean India Campaign’ was environs surrounding intended to bring our tourism destinations tourist destinations to an acceptable level of cleanliness and hy- giene. It was part of government strategy across India laid out in the 12th five-year plan for im- Pranav Singh proving the quality of services and environs Secretary, HRAEI 6 | MYSTIC EAST NATIONAL NEWS • Food Processing: 16 MoUs signed in the food processing sector with investment more than 1000 crore. • BAPL has signed a MoU with Scomi. Investment worth Rs 1000 crore. • Essel group: We are indenting to in- vest Rs 15000 crore in Bengal. • Government of West Bengal is working with BAPL to installing the air connectivity between Kolk- ata Durgapur Coochbehar and Bag- dogra. BAPL is also entering into an agreement with GoAir and Pinnacle Air. • The total investment proposals re- ceived for urban sector is about Rs 70,000 crore. 5 new townships will be created- Bolpur, Siliguri, Kaly- ani, Rajarhat, Baruipur. • A growth corridor will be build up from Kolkata to Raghunathpur via Dhanbad. Subarna group of Singa- pore will be making it. Proposed in- vestment worth Rs 1000 crore.