Chennai: Cruising on the highways, stopping briefly to replenish oneself, may turn out to be more adventurous, rather a smooth affair, if the proposal by the government fructifies. New motels coming up on the highways will have to opt for cashless payments, promote safe, secure and better hospitality for travellers
In addition to new ones coming up on the highways, those renewing licenses will have to ensure digital payment facilities, incorporate safety mechanism and be disabled and environment friendly in order to get the mandatory approval from the government. The aim, it was pointed out, is also to provide better hospitality facilities on the highways for travellers, said a senior official from the tourism ministry.
Motels have been classified as per the facilities being provided by them and are an important segment of the hospitality sector providing ‘budget’ accommodation. A motel is a hotel designed primarily for motorists, having their main entrance on a national highway or a state highway or on a service lane of a national / state highway. As part of an effort to recognise this segment as a component of the overall tourism product, and ‘benchmark’ the standards of facilities and services of motels, the ministry of tourism has formulated a voluntary scheme for approval of operational motels.
“At a time when the government is focusing on digital transactions, these establishments must migrate from cash to cashless payments. Customers too would be happy to make the payment by digital wallets, and credit and debit cards. Also, the motels need to be inclusive and disabled-friendly to cater all type of customers,” the official pointed out.
The Hotel & Restaurant Approval & Classification Committee (HRACC) would assess the operational motel based on the facilities and services offered.
Applications for approval of motels mentioned should be submitted online on the porta https://wvvw.hotelclould.nic.in along with the fee payable by digital mode only in respect of application for the approval / re-approval of operational motel.
The new guidelines issued by the Centre, recently, were framed after intense deliberations with the tourism and hospitality industry along with the stakeholders.
Motel is expected to maintain required standards at all times. The new guidelines treat motels separately from the hotel classifications.
These motels should follow the ‘Code of Conduct for Safe & Honourable Tourism’ besides install CCTVs and provide wheelchair for the differently abled guests on complimentary basis.
According to sources, the hospitality sector is rapidly transforming keeping pace with the march of technology. “Things have changed from booking rooms to ordering food. It will be good if the motels too are made to keep pace with technology,” a hotelier said. What next one would be tempted to ask? There is an increasing need among several quarters to improve the internet facilities on the highways and increasing need for creating WiFi zones for the people to connect while on the move.
