GST without ITC hits affordability and accessibility in India's tourism sector: FHRAI

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) The recent revision in the GST rates is a continued effort to rationalize tax rates to benefit consumers, improve compliance, and support growth, but the same has turned into an added cost for guests and created structural cost burdens on hotels, particularly in Tier II and Tier III cities, Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, the newly elected President of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) said on Friday.

As much as 90 per cent of India’s hotels operate below a room tariff of Rs 7,500, and are now subject to a Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 5 per cent without Input Tax Credit (ITC).

He stressed that the withdrawal of ITC has escalated unrecoverable costs on rentals, utilities, outsourced manpower, and capital expenditure, deterring investments and threatening the growth of domestic tourism.

FHRAI requested that the government reinstate ITC at the earliest and issue a clarificatory circular to remove compliance ambiguities.

“Our industry is one of the largest generators of employment and a key driver of India’s service economy. Yet, the GST framework without ITC has created inequities that threaten our competitiveness," said Jaiswal.

"We are not seeking concessions but fairness, clarity, and parity. By restoring ITC, addressing copyright ambiguities, and granting Infrastructure and Industry Status, the government can empower hospitality to support the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and secure India’s rightful place as a global tourism hub," he added.

Beyond GST, the FHRAI president also addressed persistent issues of copyright harassment, where multiple societies raise overlapping royalty demands, creating unjustified legal and financial pressures on hotels and restaurants.

He urged the government to define the roles of copyright societies clearly, prevent multiple collections for the same content, and shield establishments from wrongful litigation.

FHRAI, representing over 1 lakh hotels and 5 lakh restaurants nationwide, drew urgent attention to the policy challenges confronting India’s hospitality sector on the occasion of its 69th annual general meeting here.

--IANS

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