PM presents awards to the bests in tourism industry

The Best tourism performing State in North-East award was given to Nagaland, Best tourism educational Institute award to Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai and Best maintained eco-friendly tourism Project award to the Karnataka Government’s Jungle Lodges and Resorts.

The Khajuraho western group of temples won the Best maintained tourism friendly Monument award and the Keoladev National Park, Bharatpur won the national award for the Best maintained tourism friendly National Park.

The other national awardeesamong hotels were: Hyatt Regency, Delhi (five star deluxe), Hotel Imperial, Delhi (five star), the Oberoi Maidens, Delhi (four star), Khimsar Palace (Heritage Grand), Hotel Samode Palace (Heritage Classic), Shiv Niwas Palace, Udaipur, Hotel Sariska Palace, Sariska (both heritage), Casino Hotel, Cochin (three star), Garden Hotel, Colaba (two star), Hotel Fifty Five, Delhi (one star).

Regional awardees were Taj Bengal, Calcutta, the Leela Kempinski, Taj Coromandel, Chennai, Sun N Sand, Mumbai, Fisherman’s Cove, Tamil Nadu, Hotel Hindustan International, Calcutta, The Ambassador, Mumbai, Taj Garden Retreat, Varkala, Kerala, The Trident Agra, Hotel Bodhgaya Ashok, Hotel Heritage, Mumbai, The Desert Resort, Rajasthan, Hotel Pandian, Chennai, Bangaram Island Resort, Lakshwadweep, Panchavati Sinnar Motels, Nashik.

Park Balluchi Restaurant was given the National Tourism award and regional tourism award (North).

TCI, Sita, Mercury, Orient Express, INPAC, International Travel House, World Expeditions, Pettitt’sIndia Tours, Sea and Sky Travel, Eternal India, Asahi Travel Service, Tour Masters, Vins Overseas India, Adarsh Tourist Transport Service, Allied Tourist and Travels were the winners among tour operators and tourist transport operators.

Vajpayee said it was not infrastructure alone but the unsatisfactory quality of service which was the major reason for the slow growth of tourism in India. “Both foreign and Indian visitors who come to different parts of the country find that they do not always get helpful service. I have no doubt that tourism in India will flourish faster if our hotel owners, taxi operators, guides, local shopkeepers and all other service-providers work with single-minded determination to improve the way they deal with the tourists,” Vajpayee said.