Tripura to focus on hospitality training to boost tourism

AGARTALA: The Tripura government has decided to focus on hospitality management and asked hotel owners in the state to ensure training upgrades for their staff at frequent intervals, said state tourism secretary Ashotosh Jindal here on Thursday. The government will also focus on modernization of the tourism sector.
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Jindal said the state government has announced a special package for tourists from October 1 and has come up with an ambitious plan to ensure safety, comfort and reliable services for tourists.
Tripura's earnings from the tourism sector saw a sharp jump in the last fiscal to Rs 1.87 crore from Rs 1.06 crore in 2009-2010 and Rs 1.58 crore in 2010-11. Similarly, the inflow of tourists rose to 3,66,281 including 6,550 foreigners in 2011-2012 from a total of 3,59,296 tourists including 5,290 foreigners in 2010-2011. In 2009-10, the state saw a total of 25,694 tourists including 4,763 foreigners.
He maintained that the IT-enabled Tripura Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has been providing updated information that would be relevant to tourists. TTDC has also put in place trained manpower and modern facilities at tourist lodges and cottages across the state.
Last year, the Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) had suggested to the state government that it tie up with nationally-reputed hospitality training institutions to set up full-time study centres in the state. CCA had also said that the government should organize exposure visits as well as short-term training courses for existing hospitality service providers and hotel operators in order to revamp the tourism sector.
The CCA is going to prepare detailed project report for the Agartala Mega Circuit Destination Project (AMCDP) and the Udaipur Lake Mega Destination Project (ULMDP) amounting of Rs 21.93 crore.
According to the plan, the AMCDP will include international standard golf course and tennis court spread over 32 acre at Shalbagan area in BSF complex besides avenue plantations, light and sound fountains and other cultural activities at the Ujjayanta palace besides.
The plans also include construction of a visitors' gallery, development of a parade ground at Akhaura border in Agartala replicating Wagah in Amritsar along the Indo-Pakistan border.