a day ago
Star hotel owners meet Naidu, propose use of AI-driven tools in hotel operations
Andhra Pradesh Star Hotels Association (APHA) members on Friday met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the Tourism Conclave and underscored the need to deploy AI-driven tools and digital innovations to modernise guest experiences, marketing, and hotel operations, aligning with the State's vision for tourism excellence.
The Chief Minister welcomed the hotel industry's readiness to co-create a tech-enabled roadmap for tourism growth.
The hoteliers also strongly urged the government to ensure that full industry status benefits, especially recurring benefits such as power tariff concessions, water tax and property tax waivers, are extended to all existing star hotels, not just new ones.
The members emphasised that while capital subsidies naturally apply to greenfield projects, ongoing operational benefits must treat all classified hotels equitably to maintain Andhra Pradesh's competitiveness as a quality tourism destination.
Additionally, they recommended that hotels be reclassified as 'green category' units under the Pollution Control norms rather than under restrictive orange or red categories, acknowledging the industry's sustainable practices and eco-friendly upgrades.
According to sources, the Chief Minister responded positively and assured the association members that the proposals would be carefully reviewed and appropriate directions would be issued to address these long-standing requests under the State's tourism policy.
The APHA delegation comprised Prabhu Kishore (Chairman, Novotel Varun Group), Gokaraju Gangaraju (Chairman, Lemon Tree Premiere), M. Rajaiah (Managing Director, Taj Vivanta Vijayawada), Muttavarapu Murali Krishna (Managing Director, Fortune Murali Park), AP Star Hotels Association president R.V. Swamy, general secretary S. Murthy Chittoory, vice-president Venkat, and Sharan Valluru (MD, GRT Grand Vijayawada).
