10/04/2009 10:59 PM | By Saifur Rahman, Business Editor
Dubai: The Indian government expects UAE investors to partner in expanding its tourism infrastructure where investors and developers are trying to deliver 100,000 new hotel rooms currently in demand, a top official said.
"The number of classified hotels in India has already reached 600, with capacity exceeding 75,000 already," Sultan Ahmad, India's State Minister for Tourism, told Gulf News yesterday.
"The current demand is to bring in additional supply of 100,000 hotel rooms in order to serve a growing number of tourists. However, we feel, with growing bilateral trade ties, the UAE investors could partner with us in investing in our tourism infrastructure and help deliver that hotel capacity."
The Indian government offers freehold ownership of land for hotel developers, the minister said.
"We also encourage joint ventures. Gulf investors could forge partnerships with local developers to build hotels and other facilities that will help the industry," he said.
The minister yesterday kickstarted a roadshow to promote India's tourism industry.
The travel market in India is expected reach $26.1 billion (Dh95.8 billion) by 2010, according to the India Tourism office in Dubai.
India's Ministry of Tourism is looking forward to strengthening the spirit of the Indo-UAE partnership for trade development and cultural exchanges between the two regions.
"India's centuries-old multi-faceted ties with the Arab world, its geographical proximity, long-standing cultural and trading ties between the two nations will help take this partnership to new heights.
"The tourist arrivals from the UAE and neighbouring Gulf countries will contribute significantly to the growth," a statement said.
