In this insightful guest column, Maharaja GajSingh of Jodhpur, President of the Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA), expressed a willingness to collaborate with Central and State Government agencies to provide specialised training at heritage locations, addressing the critical need for skilled personnel. He also appealed them as well as the concerned agencies to utilise their infrastructure budget and focus on locations where the heritage properties are located.
By Maharaja GajSingh of Jodhpur
The heritage hotel movement is unique in that it has played a pivotal role in the conservation of heritage havelis, forts, and palaces in the country. Had these properties not been converted into hotels – it would have been virtually impossible to have stopped them from dwindling away.
Having said that, it is also a fact that heritage hotels have hassles uniquely their own. These arise by the fact that many of these are located in far-off rural areas with poor road and rail connectivity.
Finding skilled manpower in these heritage hotel locations is extremely difficult. Many of them don’t want to stay in these remote areas. What can and is effectively working for the local populace to be provided with requisite skill training so that they stay in their own regions. The Indian Heritage Hotel Association (IHHA) would be happy to join hands with any Central or State Government agency to provide training at our locations. This will go a long way in fulfilling the dire need for specialized skilled personnel requirement. There are around 200 heritage hotels in India with about a 100 in Rajasthan, with considerable potential for further growth, thereby creating abundant employment opportunities.
The concept of IHHA is to singularly strive to preserve heritage properties from decay and project India as a heritage destination. It has also been instrumental in formulating the Heritage Tourism Policies of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Utter Pradesh. The Association is now a significant body that aims at establishing standards in heritage hospitality, laying down heritage classification guidelines, working closely with the Ministry of Tourism to establish policies and promoting Heritage Tourism in the inbound tourism market.
The lack of infrastructure in terms of roads, drainage, power and communication is yet another challenge for the heritage properties. While there is a huge improvement in infrastructure in some areas, the others are still lagging.
It would be my earnest appeal to the Union Government & State Governments as well as the concerned agencies to utilize their infrastructure budget & also focus on locations where the heritage properties are located.
The irresistible charm of India has always attracted visitors from across the globe. The country never fails to serve us a platter of art, culture, history, and heritage the likes of which have never been seen before. In today’s fast-paced and dynamic environment, it is imperative we preserve our natural and built heritage for our future generations. Heritage buildings possess historic values resulting not only from their beautiful architecture but also from the stories left behind by ancestors of those properties. Heritage Tourism also plays an important role in attracting domestic visitors, keen to learn about their own country & its diverse Geography, History & Culture. The development of these properties contributes towards preserving and restoring a valuable visage of our rich culture for our young generation to explore.
I compliment the T3 Magazine, one of the oldest travel and trade publications in India, in bringing out a special issue focusing on heritage tourism in India.
The heritage hotels are hugely popular among the visiting guests and domestic tourists. With more improvement in infrastructure, connectivity as well as appropriate skill training, increasingly more inbound tourists will enjoy the diversity & beauty of our country.
INPUTS BY GAJSINGH- MAHARAJA OF JODHPUR
