Uttarakhand's Winter Tourism Boom: A Path to Self-Reliance

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami advocates for making winter tourism a mass movement, highlighting its potential to drive local self-reliance. With increased activities in places like Kedarkantha and Auli, the initiative provides employment, boosts local culture and tradition, and stems migration, enhancing the state's unique identity.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urged citizens to transform winter tourism into a mass movement, emphasizing its role as a crucial asset for a self-reliant Uttarakhand. Dhami's remarks came during the inauguration of the Winter Festival in Sankri, located in the Uttarkashi district.

The Chief Minister attributed the rising enthusiasm for winter tourism in areas such as Kedarkantha, Harsil, Auli, Munsiyari, and Sankri to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tourism initiative. He noted that this movement is generating employment opportunities, with young locals engaging as trekking guides, running homestays, and contributing to other tourism-related ventures, thereby reducing migration.

Dhami highlighted that winter tourism offers new markets for folk artists, handicrafts, and traditional cuisine, portraying Sankri as a living museum of Uttarakhand's heritage. He also emphasized his government's focus on strengthening cultural values and governance, citing laws like the Uniform Civil Code and policies promoting transparency and anti-corruption as part of the state's progressive identity.

(With inputs from agencies.)