New Delhi, Jul 6 (IANS): The Hotel Association of India (HAI) on Monday announced the appointment of former Tourism Secretary Madan Prasad Bezbaruah as the Secretary General of the industry body.

In a statement, HAI said that the appointment of the retired bureaucrat comes in the backdrop of the industry's worst-ever crisis. He succeeds HAI Founder Secretary General R.K. Puri.

Puneet Chhatwal, President of Hotel Association of India, said: "I am sure, with his vast experience dealing with the complexities of the tourism industry, he will be able to guide the association in the right direction and help us achieve our collective aim to resurrect the hotel industry in India."

Highlighting the HAI 2020 Strategy, Chhatwal who is also the MD & CEO of Indian Hotels Company Ltd, said: "The last three months have been the most difficult for industries across sectors; some may have been hit more compared with others, but there is no denying that the impact has been felt by one and all."

He added that now is the time to devise ways in which the hotel industry can evolve from the crisis and work towards building a roadmap that helps in the recovery of business and long-term sustainability.