Over 64 Percent Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Hotels Running Into Losses

According to official figures, 35 of the 55 hotels of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation are running into losses.

Shimla: Amid a target by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu led Congress government in Himachal Pradesh to attract five crore tourists annually to the hill state, most of the hotels of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation are running in huge losses. To add insult to injury, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has given a strict warning to the government saying that the Tourism Development Corporation will have to improve amenities for the tourist else orders will be issued to lock the properties.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation is an important link in the state to promote tourism. Tourism Development Corporation has a total of 55 hotels in the state. Out of these, 35 hotels, accounting for nearly 64 percent, are running in loss as per officials.

Hotels Running In Loss

The hotels of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation which are running in loss include Hotel Sarvari of Kullu, Hill Top Swarghat, Silver Moon Kullu, Kunal Hotel Dharamshala, Hotel Suket Sundarnagar, Hotel Kashmir House Dharamshala, Hotel Lake View Bilaspur, Tourism in Rewalsar Mandi, Hotel Golf Glade Naldehra Shimla, Hotel Jwalaji Shri Jawalamukhi, Village Park Shimla (this is the property of General Administration Department), Cafe Newgal Palampur, Hotel Mamleshwar Chindi District Mandi etc.

These Hotels Are Profiting

Shimla-based Triple H (Hotel Holiday Home) and Palace Hotel Chail are running in profit. Likewise, the famous hotel Naggar Castle of Kullu is also in profit. Other hotels which are profiting include Hotel Kunjam of Manali, State Guest House Peterhoff located in Shimla, Hotel Meghdoot located in Kyarighat, Pinewood of Barog, Logs Hut of Manali, T-Bud of Palampur, Hotel Hamir and Hotel Renuka of Hamirpur.

Pankaj Chauhan, who is associated with the tourism business, said that private hotels provide better facilities to their customers adding there was “an indifferent attitude in the government sector”.

“It is not that the chefs of the corporation's hotels are any less than anyone else. Excellent food is available in Shimla's Triple H and Peterhoff, but the corporation has to be made more effective. In the new era, suggestions will have to be taken from the customers and implemented,” he said.

Despite having immense possibilities of tourism, Himachal has not yet received two crore tourists in a year. The highest number of 1.96 crore tourists came in the year 2017. The state government has now set a target of five crore tourists arriving annually.

The tourism sector contributes only 7 percent to Himachal's GDP providing 14.42 percent of the total employment in terms of direct and indirect employment. Among the famous tourist places of Himachal, Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Chamba, Dalhousie, Mandi, Chail, Great Himalayan National Park are prominently named. Apart from this, there are many Shaktipeeths here. Jwalamukhi, Chintapurni, Bajreshwari, Naina Devi, Renuka Mata Tirtha, Bhimakali Temple etc. are the main centers of faith and religious tourism.

High Court reprimand: Hearing a plea of a retired employee of Tourism Development Corporation who has not been paid his due financial benefits, the High Court said that the financial condition of the corporation was not good and reprimanded the government. The court also gave instructions to the TDC to improve its amenities and issued a warning that if appropriate, the High Court will order to lock the properties of the corporation. The High Court has also asked for the reasons that tourists stay in private hotels instead of staying in the corporation's hotels.

After the reprimand of the High Court, the state government has formed a committee headed by retired IAS officer Tarun Sridhar. The committee has been asked to submit a report to the state government in six months to improve the condition of the corporation's hotels.

Some other aspects of the tourism sector at a glance

• 4610 hotels with a capacity of 1,25,862 beds are registered with the tourism department in Himachal.
• 3870 homestay units with a capacity of 23846 beds are registered in the state.
• Himachal has airports at Jubbarhatti in Shimla, Bhuntar in Kullu and Gaggal in Kangra.
• Himachal has five heliports.
• The Tourism Development Corporation was formed in Himachal in 1972, under which there are 55 hotels at present.
• The hotels of the Tourism Development Corporation have 1109 rooms and 2485 beds.
• 4848 travel agencies are registered with the tourism department in Himachal.
• 1612 tourist guides and 1109 photographers are registered with the corporation in Himachal.
• There are more than 15 thousand hotels in Himachal in the private sector.