Two well-marked natives of particular districts of Karnataka and Kerala figured in a cartoon following the historic event of astronauts landing on Moon (July 16, 1969). A tea stall and an establishment to serve coffee and snacks (idli, dosa) were shown to have pre-empted the astronauts in reaching the Earth’s satellite orbiting at an average distance of about 385 kms. The message of that cartoon portraying the pioneering nature of these two sections in the country’s population to provide hospitality as it were may not have been missed by readers of dailies that published the cartoon, all in good humour. Mysuru has not lagged behind any city across the country in hosting the hospitable destinations to the urbanites, given the number of them being counted in four digits (Mysuru has reportedly more than 4,000 mobile canteens spread across all parts of the city). The sharp rise in the number of different avatars of hospitality destinations in the city, namely hotels, restaurants, darshinis and other eateries catering food cannot be missed, some streets hosting them to meet the preferences of gourmets of all cross-sections of society in their socio-economic diversity.

Providing the visitors to the city, particularly yatris, free lodging in choultries, a culture dating back to several centuries, has passed into pages of history. The choultry or dharmashala has yielded place to the hotel, with the classical definition as an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Hotels are currently classified by star-rating, with the five-star hotels marked by tariffs beyond even the upper middle class.

The country’s hotels and restaurants having come to be a mainstay on counts of investment and the workforce across the country enjoy the status of an industry. Lack of trained and skilled human resources has been recognised as a major issue inhibiting the growth of the sector to realise its full potential, especially in tourist destinations like Mysuru, the region reportedly witnessing tourist footfall of more than 35 lakh annually. The city has currently more than 250 hotels and resorts. Given the expected steep rise in the number of tourists to the region in days ahead, including foreign tourists, marked by diverse tastes and preference, hotel infrastructure also needs improvement to match global norms.

Shortfall in trained manpower for hotel industry having been highlighted in the industry circles, the government’s plans to establish institutions offering degree course in hoteliering raises hopes of transforming hotels into establishments of hearty hospitality in days ahead.