PHA offers partnership to govt to stop closure of PTDC motels

LAHORE: Pakistan Hotels Association (PHA) offered the federal government its partnership for stopping closure of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) motels located in Northern Areas due to COVID-19 and helping out the government for not laying off PTDC employees as it was the only major source of jobs in those areas.

Pakistan Hotels Association Chairman Zubair Baweja, who is also elected president of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said the PTDC announced closing of its motels located in Northern Areas of Pakistan due to continuous financial crunch was unfortunate.

“PHA emphasised that private sector should come forward and support the government in rehabilitation and expansion of these motels to make their operations commercially viable in the backdrop of closure of operations of the PTDC,” Baweja said.

In Pakistan, investors are always keen to establish lodging facilities in Northern Areas due to its special attraction for the tourists and a lot of land available there. “Now the government should lease out these motels and land to private sector, who could easily convert these properties to good quality hotels with international standards and brand to boost tourism,” Baweja said, adding that the PTDC motels were ideally situated for tourists to rest and then wake up the next morning and continue their journey farther into the North. The public-private partnership in tourism industry would develop the Northern Areas for the best tourism, and massive good employment opportunities could be created in Northern Areas by creating good hotels there. If those hotels and motels are given to the private sector, then good facilities can be provided to the tourists as investors are always capable to upgrade and convert standard hotels, if given chance.

Currently, almost 25 properties of the PTDC were already closed down in the entire North other than the six ‘sick’ motels and restaurants, the Corporation had closed down in March last year. Last year, also, the PTDC had shut down its motels at Taxila in Punjab, Chattar Plain in KP, Astak in Gilgit-Baltistan and at Khuzdar in Balochistan, as well as Chakdara restaurant in KP and Daman-i-Koh restaurant in Islamabad.

Baweja said the government’s intensions of becoming facilitator and regulator was much appreciated, leaving field open to private sector to bring in quality, organisational efficiencies, competition of services and enhancement of direct and indirect employment opportunities.

“On behalf of members of Pakistan Hotels Association, we offered cooperation to work with government bodies to bring in improvement in hospitality sector,” he said, adding that the PHA will also extend cooperation to privatise these properties and investors be facilitated to develop and convert abovementioned properties to make them viable business ventures as it creates employment opportunities for the local community and earn foreign exchange for the country.