Budget 2019 Expectations: Hospitality industry wants improved infrastructure from Nirmala Sitharaman

Budget 2019 expectations: As July 5 is around the corner, industry experts have started to put forth their demands from the Modi 2.0 government at a faster rate. In fact, they have very high expectations from the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and expecting it on the lines of interim budget 2019. The hospitality industry is not a laggard in this regard. They have demanded government ensures availability of a skilled workforce that can effectively handle hospitality operations, housekeeping, front office, cooking and other skills related to the industry because it creates a ready pool of employable resources for the industry. They also want improvement in the infrastructure and expect Narendra Modi Government to focus on developing amenities like building good quality roads, constructing public restrooms on highways and petrol stations that makes road trip safe and women-friendly.

Devendra Parulekar, Co-Founder, SaffronStays said, "We hope to see Budget 2019 focusing on rationalizing the GST rates for the domestic travel industry, as the top end customer segments are choosing to holiday abroad, with the current GST bracket ultimately impacting the domestic travel economy. This, in turn, creates a ripple effect on the employment rates. The hospitality industry is a big contributor when it comes to providing employment and it needs to be actively encouraged. One of the ways of doing so is ensuring that domestic travel becomes an affordable option for the Indian traveler." He said that the focus needs to be on National Skill Development Corporation to train our youth in hospitality operations, housekeeping, front office, cooking and other skills related to the industry, as it creates a ready pool of employable resources for the industry. 

"Another important aspect that takes away from the domestic travel industry's growth is the lack of adequate infrastructure. The focus should be on developing amenities like building good quality roads, constructing public restrooms on highways and petrol stations that makes road trip safe and women-friendly. Just taking a few mindful steps can go a long way in nudging the domestic travel industry upward on the growth trajectory. Lastly, I want a budget to encourage more eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to reduce energy consumption as it can contribute positively to boosting the economy. Even simple steps such as investing in solar panels and building further awareness on using alternative energy sources of power generation can go a long way in making our country more sustainability-focused while still pushing for economic growth. We can't have a singular lens towards growth anymore; the onus lies with the government as much as it does with the population of the country to imbibe an empathetic lens and work towards building economies that are flourishing that don't cost us the environment we want to flourish within," said Devendra Parulekar of SaffronStays.

Sarbendra Sarkar, Founder & Managing Director at Cygnett Hotels and Resorts said, "The expected budget would be pro-farmer, middle sector and lower income groups with major emphasis on infrastructural development in a formulaic manner. This will strengthen the current financial system and will formulate new travel destinations and avenues. Considering the rising disposable income and higher tax savings, the travel and hospitality industry could foresee a positive domestic tourist movement."