Tourists have traditionally chosen Uttarakhand’s scenic mountains combined with peaceful landscapes for summer vacations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced a new tourism strategy that focuses on tourism throughout the entire year in order to achieve economic stability while establishing lasting local employment. During an event dedicated to promoting winter tourism in Uttarkashi, he stressed the importance of avoiding seasonal tourism patterns in the state.
A 360-Degree Approach to Tourism
PM Modi emphasized that Uttarakhand’s tourism draws heavy crowds during March to June but the season ends with hotel and homestay properties remaining vacant throughout the winter. Such an economic imbalance cuts down market development capability and consumes available resources.
He specified a “360-degree approach to tourism” to create employment across all months and unleash Uttarakhand’s complete economic capabilities. He developed a tourism initiative named “Gham Tapo Tourism” (Basking in the Sun Tourism) to welcome visitors who prefer visiting Uttarakhand during its sunny winters beyond the usual fog and cold months in the rest of the nation.
Infrastructure Development to Support Tourism
The Prime Minister declared that both state and central governments implement several development projects to support tourism activities.
Key initiatives include:
- The construction of the Char Dham All-Weather Road aims to enhance connectivity for visitors.
- The tourism infrastructure will see improvements in railway development along with expanded air transport and began operating helicopters to improve visitor access.
- Development of the Kedarnath and Hemkund Ropeway Projects will dramatically cut down travel duration.
- The Kedarnath ropeway stretching from Sonprayag to Hemkund Sahib project from Govindghat will finish construction within four to six years at an expense of ₹6,811 crore.
Boosting Local Economy and Border Villages
The Vibrant Village Program receives attention from PM Modi because it focuses on the development of isolated villages positioned along the northern border of India. These locations, which were once identified as “last villages,” are now proclaimed as the initial Indian villages that serve both residential needs and tourist attractions.
As part of his announcement, the PM introduced benefits for homestay owners through the Mudra Yojana, which assists local residents to establish sustainable business ventures. The bike rally and trek from Harsil to Jadung was initiated by him to develop adventure tourism activities in this specific region.
Winter Tourism: A Path to Economic Growth
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that the Char Dham Yatra supports the state’s financial well-being; however, this winter shutdown decreases economic opportunities for residents. The Winter Yatra represents an initiative developed by the government to generate new streams of income.
The vision of PM Modi will elevate winter tourism into a major economic force that represents economic security, preserves culture and generates new employment opportunities throughout Uttarakhand. The state has the potential to become an all-year-round tourist center through effective management of its distinctive environment while improving its facilities.