Mangalore, Nov 23: South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA) is a 61 year old pre-eminent Trade association for the Hospitality Industry in Southern India comprising the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry, said K Shyama Raju, president of the association.
Speaking at the press meet held at Hotel Gold Finch on Nov 23, Saturday, he said that SIHRA has over 1100 Hotel and Restaurant Members covering the smallest stand- alone Restaurants to the largest 5 star Delux Hotels.
SIHRA constitutes the Southern Region of the all India apex hospitality trade association, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India, FHRAI, which presently has a pan India membership of around 4000.
He also said that SIHRA has pending issues like reduction of VAT on food and liquor particularly in states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where there have been recent irrational hikes and as a consequence of the same the Hospitality industry is being hurt severely.
Increase in FSI for hotels to enables existing hotels as well as the new projects to go in for vertical expansion towards increasing the inventory of rooms particularly due to the high cost of land for constructing new hotels, he said.
He further said that since hotels are necessarily power and water consumption intensive, they face huge and debilitating overhead coast due to the Commercial electricity and water tariffs that are payable by them.
SIHRA also appeals the Southern State Governments which have enforced very high bar license fees for a reduction of the same.
Association secretary T Natarajan, K Murali Rao, Advisor Rangachari, vice president G V Krishnnayya and others were present.
