The goal is to highlight the tourism and hospitality sector’s potential to create jobs, drive substantial contributions to national, regional, and local economies, and foster inclusive growth.
The Hotel Association of India (HAI) launches the Odisha Chapter under the Chairmanship of HAI Secretary, Dr. J.K. Mohanty who is the Managing Director, Swosti Premium Limited.
HAI is said to be pursuing the Government for according to due recognition to the tourism & hospitality sector for its immense potential to generate jobs, contribute significantly to the national, regional and local economies and in promoting inclusive growth. The HAI State Chapters have been created to focus on this key agenda in each region.
The Chapter will put together a core group drawn from local HAI member hotels for support. The Chapter will map the various schemes available in States targeted at incentivizing investments by any industry. It will also enumerate the incentives available to hotels (new and operating) in terms of financial incentives, power, rate of interest and labour. The specific and local pain points of the Sector will be identified as will be the best practices by the State.
The Chapter to interact regularly with the state tourism department and the local stakeholders to promote sustainable tourism and hospitality. There will also be efforts by the Chapter towards expanding the HAI’s footprint in the State. According to HAI, Odisha has a robust tourism policy and has allowed certain subsidies like capital investment subsidy, employment subsidy, subsidy on electrical duty, subsidy for environment protection infrastructure and SGST subsidy. The Chapter will work towards ensuring that benefits declared/notified are made available to the hotels.
HAI team met senior Government officials and Deputy Chief Minister, Pravati Parida to discuss the possibilities to collaborate with state authorities to enhance the State Tourism. The Deputy CM welcomed HAI’s initiative of launching the chapter and stated that she looks forward to a strong collaborative partnership between HAI and the government, and this initiative will help Odisha become one of the top 5 states in terms of tourism and hospitality. Samarth Verma, IAS and Managing Director of OTDC and Balwant Singh, Joint Secretary, GOI were also present at the meet.
Speaking at the launch event, K.B. Kachru, President at HAI & Chairman – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, emphasized, “We are happy to introduce the Odisha Chapter, which marks a significant milestone for the Association and the hospitality sector. This chapter will help us promote the state’s tourism with the support of HAI hotel members. Odisha has a rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and historical monuments and requires to be promoted.”
Rohit Khosla, Vice President of HAI & Executive Vice President (Ops) at The Indian Hotels Company Limited, stated, “The positive aspect is that 4-5 star hotels are increasingly interested in the state and are ready to expand. We are optimistic that the HAI Odisha chapter will assist in the state’s growth and foster collaboration with stakeholders. HAI is committed to the betterment of the industry and will continue to work towards job creation and economic contribution.”
M.P. Bezbaruah, Member (Ex-Officio) & Secretary General of HAI, said, “We are thrilled to introduce the HAI Odisha Chapter, a key initiative by the Association that will help us collaborate with the government to implement innovative policies and initiatives to promote tourism. HAI is dedicated to not only enhancing the state’s tourism appeal but also creating significant job opportunities for local communities. Together, we will drive growth and development, establishing Odisha as a premier global tourism destination.”
Dr. Jitendra Kumar Mohanty, Member & Secretary of the Hotel Association of India and Managing Director of Swosti Premium Limited, added, “As part of HAI, our goal will be to collaborate with Govt bodies, local stakeholders, communities, and industry partners to realise the full potential of the Sector to the advantage of the local community and the State economy.
