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The Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation (DoTCA) hosted a Business Opportunity Conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
The conference, chaired by RK Bali, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), focused on fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors to develop world-class tourism infrastructure under a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) project. According to a press release, the primary objective of the conference was to engage private sector participants in the development, management, and operation of tourism properties being established under the ADB project. This initiative aims to provide tourists with unparalleled facilities and experiences, contributing to the sustainable growth of tourism in Himachal Pradesh. Key government officials, including Principal Secretary for Tourism Devesh Kumar and Director of Tourism and Civil Aviation Manasi Sahay Thakur, were in attendance, alongside other tourism officials. They were joined by representatives from leading hotel chains such as Taj, ITC, Mahindra, Oberoi, and Sarovar, as well as consultancy firms like Deloitte and PwC. The event also saw the participation of ADB officials from Manila and New Delhi, underscoring the international significance of the project. In his address, R.K. Bali emphasised Himachal Pradesh's reputation as a peaceful and safe destination, making it an ideal location for tourism investment. He highlighted the state's commitment to developing sustainable tourism infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPP). The conference featured detailed presentations on various tourism properties and projects. These presentations provided an overview of the potential developments, showcasing the state's dedication to creating world-class tourism facilities. The conference actively sought valuable suggestions and feedback from private sector developers and operators, particularly concerning the design, partnership structures, and other critical aspects of the sub-projects under the ADB initiative. The private sector participants showed keen interest in the properties offered for PPP, demonstrating their enthusiasm for collaborating on these ventures. (ANI)
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