Court Halts Closure of Himachal Tourism Hotels

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has stayed a ruling to close nine hotels run by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation due to low occupancy, pending an appeal. The initial order demanded closure of 18 hotels, later modified to allow nine to continue operations until March 2025.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has temporarily halted an order to close nine of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels due to low occupancy rates.

A division bench, comprising Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Rakesh Kaithala, issued the stay after the Corporation challenged the earlier closure directive. The case will be further examined on January 3.

Initially, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel had ordered the shutdown of 18 hotels by November 25, but later amended the directive to allow the tourism department to operate nine properties until March 31, 2025. HPTDC, which seeks to maximize the use of its properties, argued that some properties have existing booking obligations.

(With inputs from agencies.)