New Delhi, 31  December 2018: At present there are 21 Central Institutes of Hotel Management (CIHMs) in the country including one in Odisha as well as a State Institute of Hotel Management (SIHM) at Balangir, Odisha. The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) under the Ministry of Tourism at Gwalior also has a centre at Bhubaneswar in Odisha.

The Ministry of Tourism under the scheme of Assistance to IHMs/FCIs etc. extends Central financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for establishment of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Food Craft Institute (FCI); broad-basing of hospitality education through government sponsored ITI, Polytechnics, Colleges, PSUs and Schools subject to availability of funds, adherence to the terms and conditions of the scheme guidelines and their inter-se priority.

Construction of hotels in the hospitality industry is primarily a private sector activity. However, the Ministry of Tourism classifies operational hotels as per its voluntary scheme of classification of hotels under various Star/Heritage categories.

This information was given by Mr K. J. Alphons, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.