Unlocking India's Hospitality Potential: A Call for Structural Reforms

President of the Hotel Association of India, K B Kachru, highlights structural issues hindering India's hospitality sector. He stresses the need for infrastructure status, tax rationalization, and investment incentives to boost tourism's contribution to India's GDP, drawing parallels with successful models in Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

India's hospitality sector is poised for growth, but key structural challenges must be addressed, according to Hotel Association of India President K B Kachru. Speaking ahead of the Budget, he emphasized the need for infrastructure status, tax rationalization, and investment incentives from state governments to maximize the sector's potential.

Kachru urged for better marketing strategies for India, noting that tourism has significantly boosted GDP in countries like Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. He also called for identifying potential MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destinations and improving their infrastructure to attract international tourists.

He highlighted the importance of private sector involvement, pointing out the necessity of a respectable return on investment. Kachru also addressed the issue of complex tax systems and encouraged state governments to provide incentives, streamline hotel approval processes, and simplify visa regulations to foster tourism growth.

(With inputs from agencies.)