|
- By Mudit
Mudit: Where does tourism in to Hyderbad and Andhra Pradesh stand in the national arena?
VVS: Foriegn tourism in Hyderbad is negligible and whatever little is there is mainly concentrated towards Puttaparty in the State. Domestically, it has increased a bit, although most of the tourists got to Tirupati. The image of Hyderabad has gone phenomenally towards the positive, businessmen from abroad are slowly frequenting Hyderabad.
Mudit: How is the Department of tourism playing its role?
VVS: The Department of tourism is playing a very healthy and favourable role - thanks to the efforts of concerned ministers and officials. They are playing a proactive role, making the city and the State known to the world in places like Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Turkey and even in World Trade Mart, London, they have left their mark.
Mudit: As the President of HRAAP, how do you put your point across to the Government? Any specific issue for now?
VVS: I have to look at any issue from the point of view of a general person in hotel business - to serve the collective purpose. For this, we have an executive committee, a general meeting is organized every month and the General Managers meet every week. A consensus is reached upon on issue and it is put formal to government for action. Currently, its the issue of power tariff. Hotels being an industry, should be charged industrial power rates, not the commercial power rates as it is being done now.
Mudit: What according to you, is the factor(s) apart from the food, service, ambience that make a hotel or a restaurant a happening place?
VVS: It is going beyond customer expectations. Till now, it had been customer satisfaction that counted. Now, it's going beyond that - customer delight is the name of the game. The farther you go into that, the better.
Mudit: What is the ideal time for restaurants and bars?
VVS: 12 Midnight for restaurants and 1-1.30 AM for bars, he ends.
|
