With no one showing interest in investing in the hotel industry sector even after passing of the first quarter of the current fiscal, it won't be less challenging for the State Government to woo investors for rebuilding its badly ravaged tourism infrastructure like hotels/resorts in the State in the coming times.
The matter of concern is that despite a slew of incentives like granting industry status to the hotel industry sector by the State Government with a view to boost the hospitality sector in the State, no one has shown interest in opening hotels or resorts even in rather less disaster affected areas like plains of Nainital i.e. Ramnagar, Haldwani or other tourist destinations of the hill State even after passing of the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
As the officials concerned of the district industry centre (DIC), Haldwani, said though entrepreneurs have applied to open industry under other special schemes like the Prime Minister Employment Guarantee Progamme, but no industrialist has so far applied to open a resort or hotel under any special schemes of the Government so far.
The first quarter of the current financial year has of course gone. But no one has yet applied for opening or setting up hotel or resort, NC Pant, Senior Manager, DIC, Haldwani, told The Pioneer. "We can only hope that entrepreneurs would continue to avail the special concessions granted under the hill industrial policy," he added.
However, the entrepreneurs here are of the view that if no one is taking chance to invest in hospitality sector even in places like Ramnagar, Haldwani which have already been brought under the hill industrial policy, "how can we expect that people will be convinced to set up hotels or resorts in other hilly areasIJ"
Keeping in view the scope for promoting small and micro scale industries and hotel industry and more importantly to encourage people particularly youngsters for self-employment, the State Government has also covered plain areas of Nainital district including Haldwani and Ramnagar under this hill industrial policy.
Thus inclusion of Haldwani and Ramnagar areas in the hill industrial policy has definitely helped in pushing the growth of the small and micro scale industries in a big way as the officials concerned here believe.
And according industrial status to the hotel industry has only given rise to increasing number of hotel and resorts in Bhimtal and Ramnagar areas of late. The matter of fact is that Nainital district's Ramnagar and Bhimtal areas are now increasingly becoming hub of the hotel and resorts. But no one applying for opening of any new hotel or resort or any kind of tourism infrastructure even after passing of the third quarter of the current financial year, has rather come as a disappointing experience for the Government which has put the tourism infrastructure development on top of its priority list.
As per its preliminary estimation, the State Tourism Development Council has already suffered a loss of roughly about Rs 60 crore due to damage to its tourism infrastructure in natural calamity hit areas of the hill State. Therefore, it is to be seen how the State Government moves ahead to rebuild its hospitality industry.