India’s most popular tourist destination, Agra, was inundated with a bevy of hoteliers in the last weekend of August where the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI) held its 45th annual convention.
With Wellness Tourism as the theme, the convention this year had over 650 delegates attending, most of them hotel owners, general managers and directors.
Held from August 27-29, 2010 at the Hotel Jaypee Palace & Convention Centre, the three-day event was choc-a-bloc with presentations on various topics such as business mantras, new and renewable energy trends in hotels and restaurants, rejuvenation mantras and several interactive workshops.
The event was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Indian union minister for Tourism and one of the few ministers who finally turned up. She brought up issues such as the setting up of budget accommodation through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, the core issue of non-availability of land and high establishment cost, the enhancement of floor area ratio (FAR) for hotels and encouraging mixed usage of plot area.
In keeping with the theme of the convention “Health and Wellness,” the minister also said the tourism potential of India’s wellness systems, developed indigenously through centuries of wisdom, was yet to be fully tapped.
She added that the Indian way of life had to be positioned before tourists as integral and inclusive of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, naturopathy and spiritual philosophy.
Most importantly, the eagerly awaited FHRAI Award Ceremony was held at the event with such titles as Young Hotel Entrepreneur of the year, Young Hotel Housekeeper of the year and the Environment Champions of the year being awarded.
For entertainment there was a concert featuring international artistes Pandit Shubhendra Rao and his wife Saskia Rao-de Haas and a Mirch Masala Quiz with celebrity chefs Rakesh Sethi and Manjit Gill.
A special session for spouses was organised called Mind Taaza Mood Fresh Antakshari along with a grooming and make-up session with Miss India finalist Mehar Bhasin.
For shopping enthusiasts there was a Meena Bazaar showcasing famous handicrafts, leatherwork, footwear, brassware, carpets, jewellery, saris with zari and embroidery work, which were on sale.
