Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Saturday, May 31, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Saturday, May 31, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Tourism Marketing - Strategy TN tourism bed and breakfast scheme — `We have no details, call later' Nina Varghese
CHENNAI, May 30 VISITORS to Chennai who would want a taste of true blue Tamil hospitality will get a shock when they try to call the numbers listed on the Tamil Nadu Tourism Web site under the bed and breakfast scheme. One common response that Business Line encountered in Chennai was "We have no details. Call later'' in tones ranging from brusque to plain rude. Most of the people who answered the phone did not have any information on the rates or were unwilling to part with information. Almost all of them said that there was hardly any response from the directory on the Web. Quite different from the bed and breakfast places in other parts of the world, which are, generally, inexpensive places for the culturally sensitive and budget conscious tourist to find a clean place to stay. People who have volunteered for the scheme are typically middle class and upper middle class. For some of them, since the time they have registered for the scheme a number of domestic events have caught up with them. One woman's son is getting married - so she has no spare bedroom anymore. Another man has "just been blessed with a grandchild," which means that this spare bedroom is also not available. Only one of the numbers yielded some information on tariff. (The tariff for a non air-conditioned room was Rs 300 and Rs 550 for an air-conditioned room. Breakfast would cost Rs 25 with Rs 6 for tea or coffee.) The Tamil Nadu Tourism department came out with the bed and breakfast scheme in April last year. This scheme called for people who had rooms to spare in their houses, which could be rented out to tourists for a fee. The Department came out with a number of advertisements asking these people to come forward and to register themselves with the tourism department. Some of the basic requirements were easy access and good connectivity to the city centre. The room which was to be rented out should have a minimum size of 15'x 12' with an attached bathroom and a western style toilet. Good lighting, ventilation and mosquito proofing were given. Facilities such at TV, fridge, radio and air conditioning were said to be advantageous. One of the musts was the person who rents the rooms must be the owner and must provide breakfast to the guest if they require it. The Tourism Department would facilitate direct booking, the advertisement had promised. Every house was to be certified and graded on the facilities offered. The carrot offered was that a higher rating would ensure better tariff. One of the reasons for introducing the scheme was to provide cheaper accommodation for tourists, which would in turn force the hoteliers to bring down their rates. It was also felt that this scheme would become popular with foreigners, as they would like to experience how people in these parts live.
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