By IANS
New Delhi : Now Delhi house owners keen to have tourists stay in their homes for a fee could soon do so. The city government is moving a 'bed and breakfast' ordinance to tide over the huge shortage in hotel rooms.
Admitting there was a wide gap between demand and supply in the city hotel accommodation, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Monday said her government would send the ordinance – 'Delhi Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishments (Registration & Regulations) Ordinance 2007' – to the Lt. Governor for his consent.
She admitted that there was a shortage of nearly 30,000 hotel rooms in the national capital, and unless advance planning was done it could become a bottleneck in handling tourist arrivals during the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010.
"Urgent action is needed to augment the availability of accommodation through other ways. It has been decided to submit the ordinance, as approved by the cabinet, to the Lt. Governor as the assembly session could take some time to convene," Dikshit said after a cabinet meeting here.
The ordinance would enable owners of residential units who want to offer bed and breakfast to tourists to get registered.
The chief minister said foreign tourists would have the option of staying with Indian families and get a feel of the culture, cuisine and way of life of the people. It would also help in overcoming the scarcity in hotel accommodation.
The Delhi Development Authority has been auctioning hotel plots to interested parties to tide over the scarcity.