Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Oct: Tourism Secretary Dheeraj Singh Garbyal met Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) at the Lok Bhavan here on Tuesday. During the meeting, he briefed the Governor in detail on tourism activities being undertaken in the state in 2026, the Char Dham Yatra, and initiatives being undertaken to promote winter and adventure tourism.
The Tourism Secretary informed the Governor that more than 5.6 million pilgrims have undertaken the Char Dham Yatra so far in 2026. He also apprised him of the efforts being made by the department to promote winter tourism in the state, as well as proposed and ongoing activities in the field of adventure tourism.
The Governor said that, considering Uttarakhand’s geographical and natural diversity, tourism should not be confined merely to travel and religious destinations, but should be linked with year-round activities. He said new tourism products should be developed in the hill districts in accordance with local conditions, natural resources and their unique tourism potential.
The Governor directed the Tourism Department to prepare a district-wise annual calendar of adventure tourism activities. He said the calendar could include trekking, mountaineering, river rafting, paragliding, cycling, motorsports and other adventure activities based on the distinctive geographical conditions and tourism potential of each district. This would help attract tourists to Uttarakhand throughout the year and create new employment and self-employment opportunities for local youth.
The Governor laid special emphasis on making winter tourism an important pillar of Uttarakhand’s tourism economy. He said the unique natural and adventure activities available during winter should be effectively showcased to tourists from across the country and the world. He said activities such as snow leopard sightings, Himalayan car rallies and ultra-marathons should be organised on a larger scale to promote winter tourism.
He added that merely promoting winter tourism would not be sufficient; local infrastructure and facilities, connectivity, safety arrangements, trained human resources and homestay facilities should also be strengthened to enhance the overall tourist experience.
The Governor emphasised it was essential to ensure greater participation of local communities in tourism activities. This would ensure that the benefits of tourism income reach local people directly and provide employment opportunities to youth within their own villages and regions. He also stressed on the need to integrate local culture, traditional cuisine, handicrafts and folk traditions with tourism.
Appreciating the efforts being made by the Tourism Department, the Governor said that planned and innovation-driven initiatives should be undertaken to establish Uttarakhand as a year-round tourism destination.
