Hotel association raises ‘deep concern’ over raids, fines on J&K hotels
The Hotel Association of India (HAI), the apex body of Indian hospitality, has raised their “deep concern” with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha over the “recent unfair and ad hoc raids, imposition of fines, and threat of legal action on member hotels” in the Union Territory.
In its representation, the association pointed out that these impromptu actions by the government were motivated by complaints of exorbitant prices and service deficiencies from tourists. The HAI statement says it supports the government’s role in curbing unfair business practices but recommends that it be process-driven.
The hospitality industry is well-recognised for its significant contribution to employment creation and promotion of inclusive growth, and the government could have followed the path of consultation, the HAI statement added.
Pointing out that the last two years have been extremely tough for the hospitality industry as it has been one of the worst hit by the pandemic, the industry body has requested the government “to not disturb the recovery process” and suggested jointly working out a solution.
In response to pricing complaints raised by tourists in J&K, HAI said that prices were determined by the market forces of demand and supply. Hotel websites and booking aggregators display the room rates in a transparent manner and travellers are free to choose based on their budget and requirement, it added.
Established in 1996 and headquartered in Delhi, HAI is an integrated hospitality industry platform with over a thousand member hotels from across the country.
