Bihar to convert heritage buildings into star hotels

Patna, July 08:The Bihar government has mooted an elaborate programme to convert a number of old mansions and heritage buildings into star hotels in a serious bid to attract more foreign and elite Indian tourists in the state besides refurbishing its image to outsiders.

According to sources at the Bihar Tourism Development Corporation, the state government had already identifeid a number of such mansions and heritage buildings in different parts of the state to gradually convert them into attractive tourist destinations for high class visitors from across the globe.

''To begin with we have already identified the famous'Sultan Palace' in Patna and plan to convert it into a five-star luxury hotel after taking over its possession from the Bihar State Raod Transport Corporation (BSRTC) which presently has its main offices in the huge 150 year old building,'' the sources informed.

Elaborating the programme the source said in order to ensure hassle-free funding for the project, a special cell would soon be created to invite and involve private entrepreneurs for the renovation and subsequent running of the hotels on long term lease.

If necessary the government would stand guarantee for securing loans from banks and other financial institutions against equity participation, they said.

Referring to the tremendous growth potential of tourism in Bihar, particularly health and religious tourism because of the state's rich and diverse culture, the sources said an expert committee would soon be appointed to suggest ways for the development of proper infrastructural facilities to attract large number of foreign tourists in the state and reap the benefits of health and religious tourism at competitve prices.

Accordingly, many of these proposed star hotels, including those being identified in Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Patna might be projected for the promotion of religious and health tourism in the coming years,the sources added. On whether the government had any plan to simultaneouly encourage budget tourism to attract common visitors also, the sources said plans were afoot to introduce facilities of Paying Guest accommodation in some selected localities of all towns and cities in the state to enable the common people, particularly the youth, to explore and enjoy the natural beauty of Bihar besides, understanding the diversity of its rich cultural heritage and ethnicity.

''We have incorporated all these plans in our recently prepared draft Tourism policy which would soon be presented before the state cabinet for approval and necessary action,'' the sources said and hoped that following the conversion of heritage builduings and princely mansions into star hotels for high-end tourists, and introduction of paying guest facilities for budget tourists, the overall economy of this backward start would undergo a sea change besides improving its image to the outsiders.

Incidentally, till last year on an average only about 5,000 tourists, including 300 foreigners, visited Bihar every year with majority of them visiting only Gaya and Bodh Gaya because of their religious importance.

But following proper and timely implementation of the new Tourism policy this paltry figure might swell to more than 100,000 per annum registering over 200 per cent growth in revenue for the state exchequer alone apart from creating numerous job opportunities for the young generation, the sources observed.

UNI