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Chapter Three: Environmental & Legal Frameworks A hotel must perform certain legalities prior stepping into operations. In the case of re-defining certain legal issues might or might not have been adhered to but now have become an essential criteria. In this chapter the author speaks about provisions for the Physically Challenged guests in India, provisions for Environmental concerns and Contemporary Legal Concerns within the Indian scenario. The aforementioned issues have become an integral part of the 21st Century hotels facing cutthroat competition, thus realising certain moral deeds and depicting them as innovations. The Dawn of Barrier Free Tourism Indian Hotels have a small number of rooms designed efficiently for the physically challenged. In order to target this segment the destination itself should provide facilities for the physically challenged. It is basically the inaccessibility of tourist places, which deters physically challenged to venture out. Thus the spirit of barrier-free tourism means the reduction of all physical and non-physical barriers and dangers so that they do not adversely affect tourism experiences and activities. The Indian Government has taken corrective actions to improve facilities for the physically challenged. For instance providing jobs for the handicapped, Call Centre promoted by Tata Consultancy Services has recruited 6 out of a total workforce of 1,600. This organisation expects this category to form 5% of the entire workforce soon. The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights, and Full Participation) Act, 1995 is an Act to give effect to the proclamation on the full participation and equality of the people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region. There are many Non Government Organizations working in the sphere of providing facilities and services for persons with disabilities. During a discussion in the Tourism Coordination Committee the hotels were advised to have some guidelines formulated so that accessibility to them by physically challenged becomes easier. Facilities for physically challenged people have been clearly enumerated and made mandatory in the four-, five-star and five-star deluxe category hotels. The guidelines have been attached in the annexure. With regard to tourism access improvement strategic actions have been taken and imposed on various departments and organisations by the Government to attract a wide spectrum of consumers. Beginning with Airlines, the aisles provide sufficient space for free movement of wheelchair, 32-inch gap. Physically challenged people have been exempted from customs duties that are necessary for their daily living. Tourism Service providers now introduce accessibility as a criterion in the ranking of Hotels and Restaurants. Inter-country exchange and practices on endeavours towards barrier-free Tourism are being cultivated. Nothing further that barrier-free tourism is becoming an increasingly important feature in a competitive global tourism market and can serve as an effective tool for enhancing the socio-economic benefits of the tourism sector for the overall development of the countries. A Review – Post International Year of Eco-Tourism Taking a look at the environment scenario of India, President R. K. Narayan has identified the root causes of the environmental crisis namely the over use of natural resources and over consumption in the affluent developed societies. As 2002 was the year of ‘Eco-tourism’ hotels have started taking corrective actions to prevent environmental concerns. Hotels draw on huge amount of energy, guzzle down large quantities of water, and use copious amounts of wood and cement in construction activities.
Approximate Word count = 2164
Approximate Pages = 8.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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