FHRAI promotes employment generation
In support of the Tourism Minister’s vision for 2016 which aims to generate 24.4m additional jobs in tourism, the theme of 47th Annual Convention of Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) will focus on ‘Employment Generation’.
Vivek Nair, FHRAI Honorary Secretary, said; “The hospitality industry has a huge manpower requirement and there will be a scope for additional employment generation in this industry. On the lines of our Tourism Ministry’s vision, the theme of Goa Convention has been kept as ‘Employment Generation’. There will be industry leaders chalking out the strategy and plans of realising our goals.”
The tourism industry currently contributes 9.24% employment in the country with 53 million people employed, and makes up nearly 6% of India’s GDP. FHRAI estimates that the industry’s contribution to GDP will rise to 7.8% by 2022, creating approximately 37m new jobs, directly and indirectly.
The FHRAI has backed the Tourism Ministry’s target to increase foreign tourism arrivals by 113 lakh between 2010 and 2016, to boost domestic tourism visits by 149 lakh, develop 23.4 lakh additional hotel rooms, create 24.48m additional jobs in tourism, and achieve FOREX earnings of US$30.3bn. Currently, industry FOREX earnings are valued at US$11.4bn per year with 6.29m FTAs.
The gathering of stakeholders at the Goa Convention on 6-8 September will contribute ideas to a policy road map designed to achieve these stated goals, which the FHRAI fully supports. The organisation has already raised several issues with the Central and State governments on taxation, licensing and other impending issues to improve the industry’s growth and development.
Kamlesh Barot, FHRAI President, said; “There are many impending issues hurting the growth of the Indian hospitality industry. The issues including, high taxes on tourism and moral policing due to archaic laws are primary issues among many. Moreover, high interest rates, inflation, lack of provisions for hospitality under infrastructure policies, sanitation, airport & tourist services, licensing, lack of trained manpower, exporter status, visa issues and the laws pertaining to the land acquisition for projects are also the areas of concern.”