Haryana Tourism to go in for public-private partnership

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23

Fighting with its back to the wall against the better-managed private hospitality sector, Haryana Tourism is set to experiment with the public-private partnership (PPP) mode to come out of the red.

A beginning is being made from the Wellness Resort-cum-Health Spa at Kaziana on the Panchkula-Shimla road and leasing of the health club at Aravalli Golf Club in Faridabad. Besides, the other project being offered in the PPP mode included the heritage theme-based hotel at Madhogarh(Mahendragarh), about 136 km from Delhi, the Buddhist Tourist Theme Park at Topra Kalan in Yamunanagar and a Floating Restaurant at Karna Lake in Karnal.

There is also a plan to set up an amusement-cum-recreational park at Tilyar Lake in Rohtak and Hisar. Adventure and water sports activities at Ambala, Kaithal. Sohna(Gurgaon) and Hodal (Faridabad), besides eco-tourism camping sites at Damdama (Gurgaon) are also high on priority for development in the PPP mode.

Pioneer in highway tourism with 42 tourist complexes on almost all major national and state highways in the state, Haryana Tourism has some of the best infrastructure in the hospitality sector. However, on account of a variety of reasons, including administrative and political apathy and cut-throat competition from the private sector, Haryana Tourism has failed to exploit its full potential, resulting in huge losses to the state exchequer.

“Tourism will get a a big boost in Haryana with the state government deciding to offer a number of projects for their development in the PPP mode,” claimed Sameer Pal Srow, MD, Haryana Tourism.

To attract tourists and fully exploit its commercial potential, Haryana Tourism recently came out with several initiatives, including offering its complexes for film shootings, besides promoting farm, adventure and religious tourism.