Collective effort needed to boost tourism, says Uttarakhand CM Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said tourism is the backbone of the state's economy and called for a collective effort to boost it.

"Tourism promotion was at the root of Uttarakhand's movement for statehood. It is the backbone of our economy. We have to work collectively to strengthen our tourism and hospitality industry," Dhami said addressing a tourism and hospitality conference here.

He said tourism will play a key role in catapulting Uttarakhand among the leading states of the country when it celebrates the silver jubilee of its existence in 2025.

He said the Char Dham yatra' which begins next month is going to break all records this year in terms of pilgrim footfall as it is for the first time in two years that the pilgrimage will take place without COVID restrictions.

"Hotels and rest houses on the yatra route are fully booked nearly a month in advance and hoteliers and tour operators whose business had been hit hard by the pandemic are going to recover from its impact," he said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps saying at every forum that the decade belongs to Uttarakhand. That is because he trusts in the strength of its people. It is our collective responsibility to rise to the expectations from us," Dhami said.

He also appealed to people in tourism and hospitality industry to think up ways of promoting local cuisine and delicacies among visitors.

He said projects underway in the state, such as the Char Dham all-weather road and the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail link will give an unprecedented boost to the tourism and hospitality industry.

He also mentioned upgrading of the Dehradun airport into an international airport - underway - will also help the state.

State Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj suggested promoting winter tourism here through adventure sports, such as skiing.

He also spoke of new religious circuits being developed in the state apart from Char Dham for variety of experiences.