Amritsar poised for tourism push

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, November 22

As tourism gets a new push with focus on improving hospitality industry with adequate workforce and infrastructure, it is expected that by 2018, Amritsar will add an additional 2,300 rooms to its hotel room inventory.

Most of these facilities are in the three to five star categories and therefore, catering to the high end clientele, which enhances revenue streams for the citizens.

A host of national and international brands have made an all out foray into the Holy City, including Hawthorne suites, ITC, Taj, Marriott, Park Inn, Royal Orchid, Citrus, Le Meridian, Park Plaza, Sarovar Portico, Lemon Tree and perhaps Oberoi.

This is apart from the capacities being added by serais, bed & breakfast and budget hotel categories that are also witnessing expansion.

Gunbir Singh, chairman, CII Punjab, said that more perks were in for the tourism industry with coming year.

“The effort to ensure that the visitor extends their present one day stay to two-three days shall also bear fruit shortly with a number of added attractions on the anvil. In the course of 2016, good news is a foregone conclusion as Gobindgarh Fort, Heritage Village, Food Street, restored Ram Bagh Gardens, Ram Tirath Conservation Project are all expected to be ready. Their eventual addition has the potential of doubling the room nights in the city, therefore absorbing the enhanced capacities being generated,” he said.

The hospitality industry in Amritsar received the biggest fillip when the CII began talking about the Unique Tourism Proposition the holy city had offered in 2005.

The CII projection then was the need for 1,500 rooms in star category hotels in 3 years. However, the success of the campaign generated 1,725 rooms within two and a half years.

In 2008, it was again projected that there was scope for another 1,500 rooms by 2012. The progression has continued unhindered. The present surge from 2016 to 2018 shall be perhaps the biggest in a short span.

“The tourist influx into Amritsar is an opportunity for Punjab, which, if handled adroitly, can create cascading revenues for the state. Presently, the 35 million visitors each year to the Holy City need adequate law and order safeguards (perhaps a revisit to the old tourism police programme), information and sensitised handling of visitors, many more airline connections overseas, and a remedy to the garbage woes of the city,” he added.