Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged for year-round tourism in Uttarakhand, emphasising that the state should not have an off-season. Speaking at a winter tourism event in Uttarkashi, he pointed out that most tourists visit between March and June, but the numbers drop sharply in winter, leaving hotels, resorts, and homestays empty.
This imbalance affects the economy and creates environmental challenges.
He suggested a “360-degree approach to tourism” to provide jobs for local youth throughout the year and boost Uttarakhand’s economic potential. He also proposed promoting "Gham Tapo Tourism" (Basking in the Sun Tourism) during winter when other parts of the country are covered in fog.
He encouraged businesses to host meetings, conferences, and exhibitions in the region to support tourism.
PM Modi highlighted various development projects, including the Char Dham all-weather road, new expressways, and improvements in railway, air, and helicopter services. He mentioned the Kedarnath and Hemkund ropeway projects, which were recently approved.
The Kedarnath ropeway, stretching 12.9 km from Sonprayag, will reduce travel time from 8-9 hours to just 30 minutes, benefiting elderly and young pilgrims. The Hemkund Sahib ropeway, 12.4 km long from Govindghat, will also make travel easier. These projects, costing ₹6,811 crore, will take 4-6 years to complete.
He noted that before 2014, around 1.8 million pilgrims visited Char Dham annually, but now the number has risen to 5 million. The government has allocated funds to develop 50 tourist destinations, granting hotels in these areas infrastructure status to improve facilities and generate local employment.
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PM Modi also spoke about the Vibrant Village Programme, which focuses on the development of border villages. He said that villages once called the "last villages" are now being recognized as the "first villages" of India.
He encouraged the growth of homestays, which help increase local incomes, and said that those setting up homestays would get benefits under the Mudra Yojana.
He flagged off a trek and bike rally from Harsil to the tribal village of Jadung, stating that such events would bring tourism benefits to border areas. He recalled that Jadung was evacuated during the 1962 India-China war and assured efforts to make such villages habitable again.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who attended the event, said that the Char Dham Yatra is a major source of livelihood for people in the state.
Since the closure of the shrines in winter affects income, the government has introduced a winter yatra under PM Modi’s guidance. He added that winter tourism would help economic growth, preserve culture, and create jobs.
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