NEXT TIME when you step in a hotel run by the UP Tourism Development Corporation and find well mannered, nicely dressed staff serving you confidently in the branded cutlery, don’t be surprised!!!
The corporation is planning a complete overhaul to effectively establish a brand image of its hotels. This plan has been drawn to attract more tourists to State hotels.
Under this new image building exercise, the corporation plans to implement a central inventory of things used in hotels, improvement in infrastructure of its hotels and make over of its staff by providing them newly designed uniforms and skill enhancement training.
Principal Secretary (Tourism) Om Prakash said that first and foremost thing, which was important for image building, is uniformity and brand. For this, a central purchase system will soon be in place through which similar cutlery, toiletries and made-ups will be seen in all STDC-run hotels. All such things would carry STDC brand.
Besides the advantage of image building and uniformity, this central inventory system when implemented would also ensure at least minimum quality assurance in the hotels. It would also reduce the cost of buying such things as they would be purchased in bulks. Improvement in hotel infrastructure including upgradation of hotel kitchens is also on the cards, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Besides the advantage of image building and uniformity, this central inventory system when implemented would also ensure at least minimum quality assurance in the hotels. It would also reduce the cost of buying such things as they would be purchased in bulks. Improvement in hotel infrastructure including upgradation of hotel kitchens is also on the cards, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Om Prakash said that another very important aspect of branding is publicity for which we plan to organise road shows in other states and participate in travel marts to publicise UP tourism. Senior department officials are meeting Central Government authorities next week to request them to allow UP tourism to put a stall at Delhi airport to attract international tourists who mostly want to visit Agra and Varanasi. Hoardings would also be put up in cities like Delhi and Mumbai with an aim to publicise tourism activities in UP.
Then comes the skill enhancement of hotel staff. Schedules have been chalked out for providing them training by experts from Food Crafts and Hotel Management institutes. Uniforms of the staff would also be redesigned. The department is going to conduct training for around 300 tourist guides to teach them basic mannerism to behave with tourists, said Om Prakash.