CWG: But with added rooms, future bright-Oct 20, 2010,

CWG: But with added rooms, future bright

Himanshi Dhawan, TNN, Oct 20, 2010, 04.25am IST

(I HOPE THESE INFRASTRUCTURE-WHICH IS READY NOW "WITH WHATEVER COST AND CORRUPTION OR MONEY MEANT FOR POOR OR OF HONEST TAXPAYERS..ONE CANNOT JUSTIFIED THAT AND INVESTIGATIONS AND THEN STRICT PUNISHMENTS MUST BE GIVEN TO DEFAULTERS OR WRONG DOERS"!!

!!....BUT ATLEAST NOW AS IT EXISTS, IT NEED TO BE, IT SHOULD AND IT MUST BENIFIT SPORTSPERSONS AND SPORTS MANAGEMENTS OF OUR COUNTRY,SO THAT THEY GET MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE IN BETTER ENVIRONMENT AND FACILITIES AND GET GROOMED TO WIN MORE AND MORE MEDALS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTRY. IT MAY HELP IN CREATING MORE SPORTSPERSONS IN OUR COUNTRY WHICH IS A DIFFICULT LIKE ANY PROFESSIONS, IS FULLTIME BUT A OFFBEAT PROFFESSION.AS NOW WE HAVE WORLD CLASS FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN DELHI AND OTHER CITIES, WE CAN HOLD NEW SPORTS EVENTS,MAYBE NOT THAT BIG,BUT IN SMALLER GAP SO THAT SPORTSPERSONS- CONTEMPORARY AND NEW AND UPCOMING GET BENIFITED IN PRESENT AND FUTURE YEARS TO COME!!! SO AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS ATTACHED TO IT,ON THE FIELD AND OFF THE FIELD!!...VIBHA)

NEW DELHI: Move over Singapore and Thailand as Delhi finally finds its place in the sun. The Commonwealth Games 2010 may have been wanting for a footfall for one lakh tourists, but has left Delhi none the poorer in infrastructure including accommodation for varying budgets to choose from.

For far too long, Delhi has been out-priced by South-East Asian destinations that offered vacations not only for the rich but also for the backpacker and the middle class budget travellers.

Now the travel industry hopes that an increase in the number of both star category rooms, guesthouses and bed and breakfast establishments will breathe fresh air in the sector.

HVS India estimates that about 4,500 rooms have come up in the run-up to the CWG. ''There has been a drop in room rates by 25%-40% in the last two years, and we estimate a further fall. Delhi is becoming a competitive market as compared to Singapore and Malaysia,'' Manav Thadani, MD of HVS India, said.

With a larger supply of rooms, Thadani explained, conference and meeting business is gradually moving away from Bangalore and Hyderabad to Gurgaon. The city is also likely to benefit from the infrastructure improvements taking place across the NCR like the extension of the Delhi Metro, improvements in intra-roadways and the redevelopment of the airport.

''Although we maintain that the rates will further drop owing to the impending supply pressures, we would like to state that the overall demand is expected to keep pace with the supply,'' HVS's report said.

Former hotel industry FHRAI president Rajindera Kumar said about 20 hotels were currently in various stages of construction and with an increase in room inventory, prices could hit bottom. ''There is a possibility of 50%-60% drop in room rates once rooms increase making Delhi a great value for money destination for the domestic and foreign traveller,'' Kumar said.