By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Chamoli, 31 Oct: The gates of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Valley of Flowers, located in the high-altitude Bhuyandar Valley of Chamoli district, were officially closed for the winter season today. With the traditional locking of the main entrance by the Wildlife Division team, the tourism season for this year has formally come to an end. Human movement in the valley will now remain completely prohibited for the next six months as the region remains covered in snow during the winter months.
It may be significant to note that the world-renowned Valley of Flowers has created a new record this year, with tourist footfall surpassing all previous figures. According to the official data provided by the park administration, a total of 35,261 visitors explored the valley between 1 June and 31 October, registering the highest-ever tourist turnout in its history. Of these, 34,996 were domestic tourists, while 265 were foreign visitors.
The record-breaking influx of tourists also led to a significant rise in revenue for the Forest Department and park administration. During the season, the Valley of Flowers generated a record revenue of Rs 66.96 lakhs. Forest Range Officer Ashish Jirwan said that tourist arrivals continued to rise throughout the season, resulting in unprecedented visitor numbers and a substantial increase in departmental revenue. He said that from 1 June until the closing of the season, 35,261 tourists visited the valley and the department earned around Rs 67 lakhs in revenue.
Spread across an area of 87.5 sq km in the Himalayan region, the Valley of Flowers is globally recognised for its extraordinary biodiversity and natural wealth. Open to visitors from 1 June each year, the valley bursts into colour during the monsoon season with more than 500 rare species of flowering plants. Its unmatched natural beauty attracts nature lovers, trekkers, botanists and researchers from across India and around the world.
Following the closure of the gates, the final inspection team of the park administration completed a tour of the valley and returned to the Ghangaria base camp. With the official closure now in effect, entry of tourists to the protected area has been halted until the next season.
During the winter months, personnel of the park administration will continue to monitor and protect this ecologically sensitive landscape despite extreme cold and heavy snowfall. They will undertake long-distance patrols to safeguard rare medicinal herbs, preserve the valley’s fragile ecosystem and monitor wildlife, including the elusive snow leopard and other high-altitude species.
The Valley of Flowers opens annually on 1 June and remains accessible to tourists until 31 October. This year’s record visitation and revenue figures underline its growing popularity as one of Uttarakhand’s premier eco-tourism destinations and one of the country’s most celebrated natural heritage sites.
