InfoAnda - India looks to host the 'B and B' Games in 2010

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Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: India looks to host the 'B and B' Games in 2010 AFP - 2 hours 1 minute ago NEW DELHI (AFP) - - As New Delhi prepares for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, a shortage of hotel rooms has left organisers scrambling to house the 100,000 spectators expected to descend on the Indian capital. ADVERTISEMENT Planners insist that the 39 planned hotels will be finished by the time the Games are due, but the numbers tell a different story. Only 19 of the hotels have begun construction work, according to a parliamentary report, which predicted a shortfall of 14,000 hotel rooms. Partially-completed hotels litter the outskirts of New Delhi, eyesores among the sprawling mini-cities that have sprung up in recent years. The situation has forced the government and tourism officials to look elsewhere for accommodation, and private homes are topping the list as part of a bed and breakfast scheme that has proved popular with homeowners who have room to spare. More than 300 houses and 800 rooms have been registered as bed and breakfasts in the year and a half since the plan was launched, according to the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), which is responsible for the program. Most applicants live in the posh southern and central parts of the city, where large, landscaped houses in gated communities are nestled among plenty of green space and upmarket shopping areas. Many are older couples or retirees who have extra space and time because their children have left home. Tourism officials also hope promoting the more personal homestay option rather than costly luxury hotels will boost flagging tourism numbers, which have declined steadily in recent months due to the global financial meltdown and November's Mumbai attacks. Government figures show that foreign tourist arrivals decreased by 12.5 percent and 17.6 percent in December and January respectively, as compared to the same periods in 2007. The bed and breakfast concept, while popular in Europe and North America, has taken time to catch on in India, and tourism officials say the Commonwealth Games present an opportunity. "Necessity is the mother of invention. In India we had never thought these kinds of schemes can work," said Vijay Thakur, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), which suggested the bed and breakfast plan to the government. While the focus is on the Commonwealth Games, Thakur said there was wider potential for attracting tourists "who want to see India on their own and experience Indian hospitality." Various government promotions mean the concept is "slowly and steadily picking up," despite some initial teething problems, said Pervez Hameed, who runs the three-room Delhi Bed and Breakfast with his wife and mother. "People are scared to open their houses for many reasons. After all, Indians are conservative as well," he said. Hameed registered his three-storey home in south New Delhi in 2005 under a previous government tourism program after stumbling upon another bed and breakfast in the city. "I didn't understand much about it. I thought it was like a hotel," he said. "But then I did a Google search on it and it appealed to me." New Delhi's state tourism department has tried to lure participants by offering incentives such as non-commercial utility rates and allowing owners to set their own room prices to make a tidy profit, although "quite a few of them are from the higher to middle income group," said Thakur. "It's not that they're looking for money -- of course for some it could be that -- but I think they're just looking for an experience of sharing." Aspiring innkeepers must first go through an inspection process led by police and tourism ministry officials to ensure their homes meet minimum requirements. The fact that the hotel industry faces little competition from bed and breakfasts means there is plenty of business potential for them to grow. "The clientele and the target profile for the bed and breakfast scheme is different," said Rajiv Makin, general manager of the India Tourism Development Corporation, which is renovating three hotels in New Delhi for the games. Bed and breakfasts are "for those who are on a low budget and who are not looking for big luxuries and restaurants," said Makin. "I don't think hotels can face any competition from them." But travellers say the opportunity to experience a traditional Indian environment is more important than the lower price. Paul Hooper, from Birmingham, England, was staying at the Delhi Bed and Breakfast before heading to the pricey Trident hotel in Mumbai, which was the scene of the devastating 60-hour siege that killed 165 people last year. Hooper said he was staying at the Trident only to attend a conference, and otherwise preferred the comfort and interaction that come with the homestay option, rather than the isolation of a hotel room. "It's the ability to talk to people. It's a long journey and you've got someone who welcomes you," he said. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Ashlee Simpson-Wentz moves into "Melrose Place"Reuters - 2 hours 43 minutes ago Film-maker to plan China 60th anniversary fireworks: state mediaAFP - 2 hours 55 minutes ago Jackie Chan starts shooting historical epicAP - Monday, March 9 Morgan, Lawrence join Chris Rock for "Funeral"Reuters - Monday, March 9 Rita Wilson joining Streep and Baldwin in movieReuters - Monday, March 9 Enlarge Photo An Indian walks past an under-construction five star hotel in New Delhi, on February 25. As New Delhi prepares for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, a shortage of hotel rooms has left organisers scrambling to house the 100,000 spectators expected to descend on the Indian capital. Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Russian media teases Clinton over 'reset' button Business groups slam German nationalisation bill Bleak jobs report dampens hopes for US recovery 651,000 jobs lost as US hits 25-year jobless high Zimbabwe PM hurt, wife killed in car crash: party View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

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