NEW DELHI: The tourism ministry is consulting the road transport & highways ministry and therefore the law ministry, among others, on choices for the welcome business when the Supreme Court aforementioned its ban on alcohol sales close to highways includes hotels and restaurants, except for liquor vends
Inter-ministerial consultations area unit occurring to determine following steps within the matter and to examine that approach this is often going.
we have a tendency to area unit willing to be proactive and sympathetic nd there's a sense that some quite relief has to run,” Suman Billa, joint secretary within the touristy ministry, told ET.
“Now it's up to the aggrieved parties to position the matter before the court. If they do, because of the Ministry of touristy, we might have a grip thereon and that we would be happy to convey that to the court.”
Billa aforementioned the court’s call can adversely have an effect on incoming tourer numbers within the returning months. Foreign tourer arrivals in the Republic of India climbed to 8.89 million in 2016 from 6.97 million in 2013. interchange earnings from overseas tourists rose to $23.15 billion last year from $18.45 billion in 2013.
There will be a negative impact no 2 ways that concerning it.we have a tendency to aren't involved concerning the liquor vends intrinsically, we have a tendency to area unit solely involved concerning the hotels.
Hotels area unit near airports and producing hubs and that I don’t suppose folks area unit about to the five-star hotels to drink and tipple on their approach,” aforementioned Billa.
The ministry official aforementioned there has to be a distinction between folks driving on highways and travellers staying in five-star hotels.
The hotels affected presently would see a come by incoming numbers. Business events may move to alternative countries,” He said.
The apex court’s March thirty-one ruling on the liquor ban inside five hundred metres of national and state highways came as a rude jolt to the welcome business, forcing affected hotels, restaurants and pubs to prevent serving alcohol, resulting in a come from sales and government income.
The court’s call is geared toward curb road accidents and deaths caused by intoxicated driving.