Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the immediate commencement of snow leopard sighting, heli-skiing, and Himalayan car rallies to promote winter tourism in the state. The Chief Minister also instructed that all arrangements and facilities of KMVN and GMVN be improved by December 20th in view of winter tourism, and that a meeting be held with hotel owners.
The Chief Minister gave clear instructions to all District Magistrates that roads, hotels, and other basic facilities related to the major tourist destinations in the districts should be fully functional. The Chief Minister himself will travel by road to conduct on-site inspections of the arrangements. He also directed that an important meeting be held in Delhi with various stakeholders involved in promoting winter tourism.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed that under the “One District-One Festival” initiative, a grand festival should be organized in each district of the state, which would become the unique identity of that district. He instructed that the participation of prominent personalities, expatriates, village heads, and senior officers from the respective districts should be ensured in these festivals. He also directed that a grand international-level festival be organized at the state level, to which prominent individuals and expatriates from India and abroad would be invited. The Chief Minister emphasized ensuring maximum public participation in these events.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was holding a review meeting with senior government officials and District Magistrates of all districts at the Chief Minister’s residence late Saturday night regarding the promotion of winter tourism.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the development of the Saryu Corridor in Bageshwar. He also directed the development of a religious and spiritual site at the origin of the Saryu River, on the lines of Gangotri. Considering the vast potential for trout fish, kiwi, and red rice production in Bageshwar, the Chief Minister directed that serious efforts be made to promote their production.
The Chief Minister directed that a grand international-level yoga festival be organized through the joint efforts of the state government, private institutions, and social and religious organizations. Chief Minister Dhami instructed that the feedback of tourists, tour operators, hotel owners, and other stakeholders should be included in the action plans related to the development of tourist destinations in the state, so that facilities can be developed in accordance with the expectations of the tourists.
In the meeting, the Chief Minister directed that the action plan for the beautification of the Rahu Temple in Paithani, Pauri, and the Lakhamandal Temple should be implemented quickly and effectively. Taking note of the aarti (evening prayer ceremony) held at various confluences and ghats of the state, including Devprayag, he directed that grand aarti ceremonies should be organized at all major religious confluences and ghats of the state, and new ghats should also be developed.
The Tourism Secretary informed that, on the instructions of the Chief Minister, the state government is going to launch a “Snow Leopard Tour” on the Ladakh model to give a new direction to winter tourism in Uttarakhand. Under this, high-altitude Himalayan regions like Gangotri will be opened to tourists in a controlled manner during the winter season, and snow leopard tourism will be conducted on a pilot basis in the Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi.
He said that the objective of this initiative is to promote winter tourism and create new employment opportunities at the local level. The Snow Leopard Tour will encourage homestays, local guides, adventure tourism, and other activities, which will strengthen the economy of the border areas.
The Tourism Secretary also informed that a comprehensive action plan related to winter Char Dham Yatra, adventure tourism, cultural festivals, and wildlife tourism is being implemented in the state to promote winter tourism. This includes proposals such as roadshows in major cities of the country, digital and print media campaigns, live telecast of evening aarti from pilgrimage sites, special tour packages, and discounts on hotel and resort charges during the winter season.
Under the action plan, adventure activities such as skiing, trekking, paragliding, and rappelling will be organized in various areas including Auli, Khaliya Top, and Bednidhar. Winter carnivals will be organized in Mussoorie, Nainital, and Uttarkashi, an international yoga festival in Rishikesh, and wildlife and snow leopard tourism activities in the Jim Corbett, Nandhaur, and Gangotri regions. The government aims to establish Uttarakhand as a year-round tourist destination.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries R.K. Sudhanshu, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Shailesh Bagoli, Sachin Kurve, Dheeraj Gabryal, Additional Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari, and other officials from various departments, while District Magistrates from all districts joined virtually.
