The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has, through its member hotels, offered 45,000 rooms to the authorities to quarantine people suspected to have coronavirus or for doctors and medical staff fighting the COVID-19 outbreak to use.
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has mobilised its member restaurants to provide meals to over five lakh people who are in need. In Mumbai, member hotels and restaurants are assisting in preparation and distribution of two lakh meals per day together with the State government and local authorities.
“The association has appealed to its member hotels and restaurants to fully cooperate with government officials and to support the cause. The hospitality industry has been on the frontline during this pandemic and is offering its full support to the government in the effort to control the spread of the virus. FHRAI through its regional associations is offering meals as well as has voluntarily offered rooms all over India via our member hotels and restaurants,” Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, vice president, FHRAI, and president, HRAWI, said.
Alongside the HRAWI, the regional arm of FHRAI through its restaurant members has been offering meals, food packets and meal preparation facilities, besides distributing dry rations, to the needy.
This is being done in partnership with the State governments, local authorities and various NGOs.
The Indian hotel and restaurant industry constitutes of 5,00,000 restaurants in the organised sector, an estimated 4,00,000 in the unorganised sector and over 53,000 licensed hotels, which together account for 7% of the employment generated in the country. The hotel and restaurant industry supports 33 million jobs directly and indirectly across India.