Now, swipe your card and book a room

HPTDC provides online instant booking and payment by credit cards

You can now instantly reserve your room and pay by credit card with a click of a mouse in your choicest Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotel across the state.

"After Kerala, Himachal has become the only second state in the country to provide online instant booking and confirmation of accommodation and pay online by credit card," said Tarun Sridhar,managing director, HPTDC.

"Two years back we had started an online booking but for this the customer had to send us the booking amount by mail or deposit the amount at our marketing offices in metropolitan centres or assigned the job to a travel agent who reserved your accommodation after charging commission, he said.

"But now our customers can simply book online and pay by credit card," Sridhar added. "The facility was launched last week we are already getting response from all over the country," he said.

Resorts across the state have already begun to attract tourists in large numbers as the heat intensifies in the plains. Officials said the service can be availed by logging on to the HPTDC's website, www.hptdc.gov.in. The website displays the status of HPTDC's occupancy and availability of rooms for the next fortnight.

If a customer does not posess a credit card he can carry out the booking by visiting the nearest HPTDC marketing office or by sending the advance money by mail to these offices and later confirming the status online.

"Once the money is paid by credit card a confirmation slip is generated which can be printed and used as a booking voucher by the customer," Sridhar said. "To avoid misuse of credit card a customer has to submit an identity proof to the hotel staff before checking in," he said.

HPTDC soon plans to provide this online booking facility for reservation of its luxury buses besides a host other services privided by the state run company, which include trekking,skiing, paragaliding,river-rafting and angling.

HPTDC has over 50 tourism properties(hotels) all over the picturesque state in some of the best locations of the hill state. Many of these hotels are the most saught after places for holiday makers from across the country and overseas.