Govt all set to monitor hotels across the country

The government is all set to begin monitoring of tourist standard and star hotels throughout the country.

The Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has already recruited a food inspector for the purpose. Similarly, it is at the final stage of appointing an assistant food inspector.

The government had allocated fund for the purpose in the budget for fiscal year 2013/14.

“Now that the food inspector has been recruited, we will regularly carry out monitoring of hotels to make sure that they are following standards prescribed in the Hotel, Lodge, Restaurant, Bar and Tourist Guide Regulation 1981,” Madhu Sudan Burlakoti, chief of the division, told Republica. “New hotels should follow standards introduced through a notice published in Nepal Gazette on October 21.”

The division used to conduct monitoring in the past as well. But it wasn´t effective as the division didn´t have trained hands for the purpose.
“We have already initiated discussion with Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) - the apex of body of hotels - to finalize modality of monitoring,” added Burlakoti.

Saying that the monitoring of hotels will different than the one being carried out by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), Burlakoti said the division´s monitoring will be reform-oriented rather than controlling malpractices.

The division is hopeful that its fresh move will help to maintain standard of hotels across the country. “This will help enhance the image of Nepali hotels,” Burlakoti said.
Madhav Om Shrestha, executive director of HAN, said termed the government´s initiation to monitor hotels and standardize them a good beginning. “We have long been demanding that the government monitor hotels on regular basis,” Shrestha said, adding, “It will give hoteliers the opportunity to correct their mistakes.”

He warned that haphazard monitoring like the one being carried out by DFTQC will only terrorize hoteliers and guests.Burlakoti said monitoring teams will reach hotels only after informing the hotel management. “We won´t disturb guests and affect regular works of the hotel,” he added.

source: republica,24 Dec 2013