The fourth edition of International Buddhist Conclave does not seem to be warmly welcomed by several sections of stakeholders in Bodhgaya on its first day on Friday.

Hotel-owners and transpo- rters claimed that the mega show is aimed at attracting foreign travel and tour operators for coming to the state and it has forgotten them. The state does not have a single five-star hotel and lacks in tourism-based transport facilities as well, which act as a dampener for tourists. The hoteliers claimed that this event could have been the most suitable platform for them to promote their limited resources.

Organisers, however, claimed that the hotels are being equally promoted as foreign delegates have been accommodated at their hotels, offering them a first-hand experience of their facilities.

Hoteliers have, however, denied such claims. “The occupancy rate of hotels in Bodhgaya is only 30 to 40 per cent in respect to the total tourist inflow. Remaining 60 to 70 per cent tourists prefer to stay in monasteries of their respective countries. Therefore, the hotels in Bodhgaya need brand promotion and the conclave would have been a very good platform for this,” said Arun Kumar Ojha, a member of Hotel Association Bodhgaya.

He added: “Local hoteliers, tour operators and the transporters should have been invited for an interaction with the members of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), who have arrived to participate in the conclave. It would have been an opportunity for them to ensure brand promotion of their local property.”

Hotel Association Bodhgaya secretary Sanjay Singh said: “As officials of Union tourism department are also participating in the conclave, it would have been a good opportunity for local hoteliers to raise the issue to introduce domestic and more international flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Ho-Chin-Minh city and other gateways.”

Transporters also voiced similar issues of their negligence in the conclave.

“Local transporters were not invited for their brand promotion before the international tour operators, who are among the guests of the conclave. In Bodhgaya there are around 10 tour operators who own nearly 100 buses and Subhalendu owns 60 buses that include two Volvos. We take the tourists to different places of Buddhist circuit in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. Had local transporters been invited to have a discussion with IATO and international tour operators it would have been an opportunity for our brand promotion and get better business,” said Subhalendu Sharma, a transport operator Bodhgaya.

Delegates from IATO, however, did not seem to be in agreement regarding the claims of ignorance of hoteliers and transporters. “It would not be right to say that hoteliers are not being represented in the conclave. All delegates are in fact staying at the local hotels only and it is an opportunity for the hotel owners to promote their hospitality skills to them. I have also seen several new hotels here as well, which shows that this business is booming here,” said Vijay Thakur, the former president of IATO.