Tourism sector rallies against relocation of corporation office

Braving heavy rains, hundreds of stakeholders from Himachal Pradesh’s tourism sector staged a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha on Monday against the state government’s decision to shift the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) head office from Shimla to Dharamsala.

Hotel and restaurant owners, homestay operators, tour and travel associations and taxi unions participated in the protest, calling the decision “anti-tourism, anti-people and anti-employees.” They raised slogans demanding rollback.

Harish Vyas, president of the Guide & Travel Association, said the move would deal a blow to Shimla and the wider tourism economy of the state. “Shimla has been a global tourism hub for over 200 years and continues to contribute the lion’s share to the state’s revenue. Relocating the HPTDC office will endanger the livelihoods of lakhs,” he said.

Vyas further argued that the relocation was impractical, since the HPTDC Board of Directors, including the Chief Secretary, Tourism Secretary, Finance Secretary and often the Chief Minister as Chairman, operate from Shimla. Moving the headquarters hundreds of kilometres away, he warned, would only increase administrative hurdles and financial burden on the state.