Delhi government told to make bed and breakfast scheme popular

Finding the response to the bed and breakfast scheme in the city inadequate, the Centre has asked the Delhi government to work for making it more popular, so that additional rooms can be made available to visitors during the Commonwealth Games next year.

"The bed and breakfast scheme was taken up with the Delhi government officials in our recent meeting. We want the scheme to be more popular and we have told them that," Union tourism minister Kumari Selja told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

While only 13 hotels are coming up instead of 33 hotels in the city, the government is banking on the scheme to make available additional rooms during the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

However, till date only 1,534 rooms are being made available for the Games against the target of 3,000 rooms.

Selja said an all-out effort is being made to promote tourism in the country keeping the upcoming Games in mind.

She said though the growth in foreign tourist arrival is negative, "we are leaving no stone unturned" to attract more visitors.

The number of foreign tourists visiting the country during January-November this year was 4.54 million as compared to 4.84 million in the corresponding period last year.

Attributing the fall in arrivals to recession, Swine flu and other reasons, she said road shows, outdoor campaigning, attractive tourist packages among other things are being launched to boost the sector.