Question : CATEGORISATION OF HOTELS

(a) whether the Government proposes to amend the rules for the categorisation of hotels in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the time by which the new classification is likely to come into force;

(b) whether licence for serving liquor is mandatory for four star and five star hotels and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether middle class tourists are experiencing difficulties in locating economy class accommodation at places/cities of tourist interests; and

(d) if so, the steps proposed to be taken to make available low budget tourist hotel?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a): The Ministry of Tourism revises its guidelines for Hotel approvals/classification/re-classification from time to time to impress upon the stakeholders the need to upgrade the facilities and technology in the hotel sector.

(b): As per Ministry of Tourism’s existing guidelines for classification/re-classification, bar license is mandatory for four and five star hotels. However, wherever bar license is prohibited for a hotel as per local law, the bar will not be mandatory.

(c) & (d): The Ministry of Tourism has not received any complaint in its Grievance Redressal Cell from tourists regarding locating economy class accommodation at places/cities of tourist interests. However, the Ministry of Tourism has advised the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations to follow tourism friendly policies for augmenting hotel room supply like allotting land sites for hotels on revenue sharing basis, granting extra Floor Space Index(FSI)/Floor Area Ratio(FAR) for hotels, adopt Single Window approach for clearing hotel project, rationalization of taxes, etc. The Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India has also included hotels in the “Harmonised list of Infrastructure Sub- Sectors” to boost supply of hotel rooms in the country.