Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday conducted a comprehensive virtual review of the state’s flagship ‘Game Changer Schemes’ under the Tourism Policy 2023, emphasizing their potential to transform the state’s economy through sustainable tourism, rural empowerment, and investment facilitation.
During the high-level review meeting, CM Dhami instructed officials to submit a detailed report on the private investments received so far, the status of signed MoUs, and the extent to which projects have been grounded. The Chief Minister reiterated that tourism must go beyond numbers, becoming a tool for local employment generation, economic empowerment, and an effective strategy to curb outmigration from hill regions.
Key Directives & Focus Areas:
- Winter Tourism & Infrastructure: Boost winter tourism and improve facilities for visitors.
- Carrying Capacity Analysis: Assess tourist load at hotspots like Mussoorie and Nainital to ensure sustainable development.
- Homestay Promotion: Fast-track the ‘Tracking Traction Centre Home-Stay Grant Scheme’, connect more local families, and promote self-employment near trekking routes.
- Youth Empowerment: Accelerate loan and grant approvals under ‘Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Tourism Self-Employment Scheme’.
- Adventure & Wellness Tourism: Initiate mountain biking, paragliding, and river rafting projects; develop Gangotri and Dhyanotthan as spiritual wellness hubs.
- Wedding & Religious Tourism: Identify new venues for wedding tourism and develop Golju Corridor (Almora, Champawat, Ghorakhal) and Rudraprayag into integrated religious circuits.
Progress Report:
- Under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Griha Awas Yojana, ₹50 crore in grants has been distributed to 1,085 beneficiaries, with 5,331 homestays registered. Another 245 homestays are targeted for 2025–26, with strong uptake seen in Tehri, Nainital, and Chamoli.
- The Tracking Traction Scheme has impacted 115 villages, adding 584 local beneficiaries and setting up 18 trekking centres in Tehri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, and Pithoragarh.
- The Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme has received 909 applications under the single-window system; 70% of these are from investors seeking to set up projects below ₹5 crore.
CM’s Vision for Tourism-Driven Development:
CM Dhami underlined that tourism must serve as a vehicle for inclusive growth, benefiting women, youth, and rural communities. He called for a transparent distribution of grants, conversion of MoUs into tangible projects, and a dedicated strategy to develop “Vibrant Villages” along border areas.
Further, he urged the Tourism Department to propose a special budget for promotional activities and submit a one-month action plan for the Spiritual Economic Zone project in Gangotri.
Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, and senior bureaucrats joined the session, with all departments tasked to convert MoUs into ground-level outcomes and ensure transparent delivery of schemes.
