White elephants

It’s an intriguing paradox — tourism continues to be the prime money-spinner for Himachal Pradesh, yet properties owned by the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) are not attracting tourists in droves. The Himachal High Court has ordered the closure of 18 such properties as it is no longer financially viable to run them. The order is aimed at ensuring that public resources are not wasted by the corporation in the upkeep of these ‘white elephants’. With the HPTDC failing to optimally utilise these establishments, the exchequer is bearing the financial burden at a time when the debt-stressed state government is busy tightening the purse strings.

The hill state played host to no less than one crore tourists in the first six months of this year, but most of them seem to have preferred private hotels to those operated by the tourism body. This is a sad reflection on the authorities’ commitment to promoting properties at picture-perfect locations in popular as well as remote areas. The HPTDC has allowed matters to drift for too long. It was only recently that its board of directors decided to hand over some of its hotels, restaurants and cafes to private players — with the rider that the state government would continue to have their ownership. This process should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner so that business entities with a proven track record in tourism get a chance to bring about a much-needed turnaround.

There is a perception among common tourists that state-run hotels are accessible only to influential people such as politicians and bureaucrats. The HPTDC needs to dispel this notion by reaching out to the masses through a multi-media publicity campaign. The involvement of travel agents and other stakeholders can spur this endeavour. The corporation should also be open to suggestions for putting its house in order and providing quality services to tourists. A ‘business as usual’ approach should make way for proactive and judicious collaboration.