VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Hotels Association (APHA) has urged the State government to grant Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) status to hotels and extend support to them in the form of incentives to help the hospitality industry recover from the losses during the Covid pandemic.
After the recent election of M Balakrishna Reddy as the association president, the new executive body members discussed the problems being faced by the industry here on Wednesday. Speaking to the media later, Balakrishna Reddy said the hospitality industry is reeling under a severe crisis due to the pandemic. “On an average, 10 to 20 restaurants and hotels are closing down every month due to poor business. We appeal to the government to grant MSME status to the industry, one of the largest sectors in the country, and provide livelihood to a large number of people by promoting the tourism industry,” he said.
Vijayawada Hotel Association secretary Sanjay Jain said investors can get quick permission to set up their units if MSME status is granted. The association also met Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy recently and gave him a representation over the possibilities of promoting temple tourism and developing the historical Buddhist sites.