New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Ahead of the Commonwealth Games, a lot of attention has been paid to hotels in the middle and upper segments but there is also need for more low-cost accommodation to cater to the needs of domestic tourists, experts said here Friday.
Speaking on the second and concluding day of the Delhi Tourism Conclave here, K. T. Ravindran, chairman of the Delhi Urban Art Commission, said: “There is a need to create low-cost hotels and re-look the existing hotel accommodation in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and other areas”.

“The Commonwealth Games, besides attracting foreign tourists, will also attract domestic tourists, especially youngsters, from various states of the country. I suggest that at the entry point of Delhi, maybe at the highways, there could be temporary live-in facilities like dorms with an eating area and toilets. There could be a park and ride facility to the city and to the games venues,” Ravindran said.

“Among other things, this arrangement will offer a low cost option for people and also help manage the traffic by arresting the in-flow at the periphery of the city itself,” he added.

V.K. Verma, director general of the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games, informed the conclave that they are in talks with hotels for “reasonably priced” travel packages for the benefit of backpackers and other tourists during the games.

“In places like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, you have packages such that your living cost is below $100 per day. Therefore, if we have to be competitive, we have to create similar packages. We have spoken to hotels of different categories on this,” Verma said.