Jaipur, Sep 25 (IANS) Rajasthan travel agents have expressed concern over the increase in hotel tariff, which they think would affect the arrival of tourists in the desert state.
Some of the five and four-star hotels, especially in Jaipur, have announced hike in their tariff rates by 25-40 percent from October this year.
An average room in a five star hotel in Jaipur after the increase would cost Rs. 14,000-28,000 per night.
“The sharp increase in tariff would certainly impact the trade”, says Navendu Goswami, a Jaipur-based inbound tour operator.
“The city has become costlier in comparison to other neighbouring cities like Bangkok, Kula Lumpur etc., and if we really want to attract more tourists, we have to be more competitive”, says Karan Singh, a travel agent, here.
Some of the travel agents were more critical of the decision, saying that it may benefit the hotel industry in a short term, but in the long run it would hurt them badly.
“A reasonable increase of 5-10 percent is understandable, but not a steep hike of 30-35 percent. It is becoming difficult for us to make our overseas clients understand, as to why suddenly their tour cost has gone up. It is just not right,” says a leading travel agent on condition of anonymity.
“We are talking about increasing tourist arrivals, domestic as well as foreign, by around 15-20 percent in the next few years. I don’t think we would be able to do this with such high tariff”, says Sanjay Rawat, a travel agent.
The hoteliers, on the contrary, defend the increase in tariff and claim they had to do it as they have put in large sums of money for upgrading and renovating the facilities.
With a record arrival of more than 1.2 million foreign tourists and 17 million domestic tourists during the year 2005-06, Rajasthan has been one of the most popular tourist destinations.
The growing number of arrivals in the state reaffirms its popularity as the most preferred tourist destination worldwide.
The total spending by tourists in the state per annum is estimated at Rs.10,000 million.