Tourism may lose Rs 4,170 cr per year: ASSOCHAM

Devastation caused by the floods and landslides has badly hurt the Uttarakhand tourism industry

The tourism sector in Uttrakhand, has been hit to the extent of 85% in the flood disaster, according to a survey conducted by Assocham Social Development Found-ation. The devastation has badly hurt the state’s tourism industry.

The Char Dham Yatra may take years to recover and places like Mussoorie and Nainital, usually flocked with the tourists, are witnessing steep decline of about 75% in the number of tourists. People fear being trapped and therefore, they are cancelling their trips, said DS Rawat, secretary general, while releasing the ASSOCHAM paper.

Tourism sector would also witness a direct employment loss of about 1,80,000 people becoming unemployed for six months in the current year. The rationale for this assumption is that there are a total of 1,79,218 households in the three districts according to 2011 census, adds the ASSOCHAM report. Given the extent of their association in the tourism and hospitality sector, it would be reasonable to expect at least one person from a household to be directly employed in tourism. The sector would lose Rs. 4170 crore per year.

The paper further points out that people, who make living on the tourism in Uttrakhand, are badly affected. These people earn enough money in six months to sustain themselves throughout the year. Some opf them are migrating to other states.

Hotels in Mussoorie and Nanital generally see 100 per cent occupancy during this time of the year, but now it has dropped to less than 20 per cent. Corbett National park is no different. It is also witnessing similar crisis, added Rawat.

The paper asserted the cost of damages occurred to housing properties, crops, livestock, tourism- the prime livelihood in the affected area, destruction of transport and communication systems and the breakdown of public and rural extension services, said Rawat.

He said that the report has been prepared on the basis of feedback provided by the team from ASSOCHAM to affected areas in three districts.

The paper added agricultural land of small and marginal farmers in 156 villages across the hill districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Tehri and Bageshwar have been destroyed. Rudraprayag has suffered the maximum damage.

The hill state has seen migration of marginal farmers in the last couple of months amid dwindling returns, but the circumstances this year might trigger an exodus, according to ASSOCHAM report.

Every year, 23 to 24 lakh pilgrims arrive in the state for the Char Dham Yatra –Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The disaster has hit tourism badly.

The study reveals that tourists are opting for "safer places" like Rajasthan, Goa, Kashmir and even Kerala to spend their holidays. The report further adds that destinations like Jaipur, Agra, Udaipur and Mount Abu have benefitted the most with travellers making last minute bookings after shifting of their holiday plans.