Television commercial “Apnatey Hai Dil Khol Ke” launched
By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 9 Apr: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today asserted that he expected a major boom in the Char Dham Yatra this season, and called upon all the stakeholders to be prepared for a record footfall this year. Dhami was addressing the inaugural Uttarakhand Tourism and Hospitality Conference 2022 organised by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board in Dehradun today. He was the chief guest on this occasion and inaugurated the conclave. The conference was also witness to the launch of short commercial film “Apnatey Hai Dil Khol Ke”. The film produced by UTDB is based on themes of tourism in general including wellness tourism and Homestays and is intended to promote tourism in the state. Dhami said interest in Char Dham was back on track after two years of pandemic challenges, and pilgrims and tourists were expected to arrive in the state in big numbers. Last two years, Char Dham was not smooth due to the pandemic and the subsequent restrictions due to it, he reminded and added that this year record footfalls are expected. Referring to better connectivity, Chief Minister asserted that the day was not far when travel time between Delhi and Dehradun would be just two hours. He informed that the elevated road was coming up that would ensure faster and smoother connectivity between Delhi and Dehradun, and people would then prefer travelling by road rather than taking a flight. Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj stressed on promoting caravan and camping tourism. “It’s like “Room on Wheels”. Our state has lot of opportunities on that count. What we need is to develop camp grounds with toilets and cafeteria on it”, Maharaj asserted. He also called upon the stakeholders to become service providers, emphasising that tourists were bread and butter for the state. Maharaj also referred to the importance of Winter Tourism besides Char Dham Yatra. He said that while Char Dham Yatra was restricted to the summer season only, there was a need to promote skiing and other linked activities to promote winter tourism too. He also reminded of assistance provided to the tourism stakeholders during the trying times of the pandemic. Dharampur MLA Vinod Chamoli laid importance on targeting more tourists for Uttarakhand in the days to come. He also suggested targeting tourists other than just Char Dham pilgrims. He noted that it was generally seen that tourists coming for adventure and wellness tended to spend more during their stay in the state. Earlier, Tourism Secretary, Dilip Jawalkar said that the state in last two decades had made a place for itself in the tourism world and it was today an allweather destination. Referring to commercial film launch, Jawalkar said the film would promote tourism in Uttarakhand. Additional Director Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, Vivek Singh Chauhan proposed the vote on thanks. Col Ashwin Pundir, Additional Chief Executive Officer (Adventure) was also among those present on the occasion. The inaugural session was followed by the plenary sessions that included themes such as – Rebooting tourism after Covid 19 and UTDB investment incentive policy. Tourism officials, other stakeholders like hoteliers, those in adventure and wellness tourism also participated in the conference.
