TS to bring tourism under single platform

Tourism in Hyderabad will soon get a shot in the arm. The Municipal Administration Department has proposed to set up a Hyderabad City Tourism Bureau.

The proposed bureau will bring departments like GHMC, HMDA and others on one platform to collectively think of strategies and execute plans of improved tourism.

The proposal has been sent to state government for its approval. In the proposal, the Municipal Administration Department has suggested collecting a tourism promotion charge from the public by the GHMC.

Staving off any criticism that post GST, the state government cannot levy any further tax, the principal secretary of revenue (Commercial Tax) G. Somesh Kumar said despite GST, the government departments can collect user charges from the public.

The department officials said once the state government gives its approval, they will decide how to collect and how much to collect.

Sources said the major revenue source for the GHMC was property tax, and the GHMC might decide to enhance 1 or 2 percent more of total property tax value as tourism promotion charge. At present various government agencies like GHMC, HMDA and Tourism Department are involved in the development of tourism sector in Hyderabad.

The bureau said that the department is planning to set up will be along the lines of the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA).

The funding structure of the Hyderabad City Tourism Bureau is being planned with GHMC and HMDA providing 0.3 per cent of the total budget and Tourism Department allocating 10 per cent.

In addition to this, GHMC will levy Hyderabad City Tourism Promotion Charge and assign it to the bureau.

The Hyderabad City Tourism Bureau will set up a single window system for according permission for organising tourism related events by issuing a Tourism and Cultural Pass (TCPASS).

The system will clear all permissions required for organising an event. Various clearances such as security clearance from police department, transportation arrangement from RTC and railway, permission from the fire service department and so on will all get approvals from the bureau.