HP Tourism Corporation hotels are crown jewels of Himachal, employees oppose Privatization

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Dharamshala, June 24

Employees of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) staged a protest in Dharamshala on Wednesday against the state government’s decision to hand over eight tourism units to private operators, asserting that the corporation’s hotels are among Himachal Pradesh’s most valuable assets and should not be privatized.

The demonstration was organized outside the HPTDC headquarters by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Employees Union affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. Employees from different parts of the state participated in the protest and raised concerns about the proposed transfer of eight HPTDC units under an operations, management, and maintenance model.

Executive President of the Employees Union, Shashi Pal Sharma, said the protest followed a decision taken during the recent state executive meeting of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. He stated that all eight hotels identified for private operation are profitable and that employees strongly oppose any move to hand them over to private entities.

Sharma alleged that if eight hotels are privatized this year, the process could expand further in the coming years and gradually cover more HPTDC properties.

He argued that before considering privatization, the government should first review the functioning of the three hotel management institutes being operated by the corporation. According to him, the tourism corporation is performing well financially, and the decision to privatize hotels is difficult to justify.

The union leader pointed out that HPTDC management has claimed an annual turnover of around ₹110 crore, which, he said, reflects the corporation’s strong performance.

Sharma also expressed concern over employment opportunities for students undergoing training in government-run hotel management institutes, saying privatization could adversely affect future job prospects in the hospitality sector.

The employees submitted a memorandum to the state government through the Managing Director of HPTDC, urging the administration to reconsider its decision and refrain from handing over the eight hotels to private operators.