The Tourism Department will not renew agreements with private partners to run restaurants attached to Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) hereafter, said Tourism Minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan.
“We have taken a policy decision not to lease out restaurants attached to TTDC hotels to private players. The outsourced restaurants will be brought under the direct control of the respective Hotel Tamil Nadu gradually,” he told The Hindu here.
He said that out of 43 restaurants in the State, the Tourism Department was running 23 restaurants on its own. The remaining restaurants were outsourced mainly because of shortage of employees. Outsourcing lease agreements would not be renewed. The restaurants, which were being run by private players, would be attached to TTDC hotels again gradually after the end of agreement periods.
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Mr. Natarajan said that it had been decided to make permanent 180 personnel, who were on consolidated pay for several years with the department. The process would be completed within a month. They would be employed in existing vacancies of various restaurants.
He added that the Tourism Officers had been asked to send business development and tourist arrival report to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) every month. Follow up measures would be taken on the hotels and restaurants that were performing below standard level. Similarly, designated officers would carry out surprise check at hotels and restaurants in order to improve the service.