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The plan has the following features-
– As Home Stay / Bed & Breakfast is the need of the hour, it was decided to revisit the scheme guidelines and update it based on present and future requirements.
– To ensure expansion of Home Stay Scheme in State where it is already prevalent and introduction where it is not there.
– Move towards ease of doing business through rationalisation of taxes, simplification of procedures etc.
– Launch an aggressive marketing strategy to enlist more B&B Establishments.
– Involve online travel agents in promoting this scheme and bring it on the fast-track.
– Groups were constituted to study various aspects of this scheme and submit recommendations in a time bound manner.
The Ministry recently organised a workshop on the same scheme. Chaired by Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, the event was attended by officials from several state governments, representatives from hospitality and the travel industry, CEOs of online travel agents along with other officials from the Ministry.
The workshop focused on the problem of shortage of rooms in the accommodation sector, specially the budget category. Keeping in mind the long gestation period involved in the construction of hotels, additional requirement can be supplemented substantially by giving impetus to the ‘Incredible India Bed & Breakfast/Home Stay Scheme’ and similar such schemes run by the state governments and online travel agents.
Source: travelnewsdigest.in