Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has achieved a historic financial milestone, crossing the Rs. 100 crore turnover mark for the first time in its history. Chairman R.S. Bali announced that the Corporation’s annual turnover has risen from Rs. 78 crore to Rs. 107 crore over the past two and a half years, reflecting a strong recovery after years of financial difficulties.
For a long time, HPTDC struggled with poor financial health, largely due to operational inefficiencies, lack of regular hotel renovations, and rising competition from the private sector. Many of its hotels suffered from outdated infrastructure and declining occupancy rates. During previous years, the Corporation often depended heavily on government grants to meet even basic operational costs, and its profitability remained stagnant.
Despite these challenges, HPTDC has managed a significant turnaround. R.S. Bali said that the Corporation’s growth has been possible due to consistent improvements in service quality, better marketing strategies, and efforts to enhance customer experience at its hotels and restaurants.
He also emphasized the Corporation’s commitment to employee welfare, highlighting that gratuity payments amounting to Rs. 41 crore have been disbursed under the revised 2016 pay scales. This amount is notably higher compared to the Rs. 26 crore released during the five-year tenure of the previous government.
Looking forward, Bali said there remains a pressing need for renovation and modernization of HPTDC properties to sustain this growth. Discussions are underway to secure financial assistance to upgrade hotel infrastructure with an aim to further strengthen HPTDC’s position in the state’s tourism sector and push the turnover to Rs. 300 crore in the coming years.
