Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today virtually reviewed the Tourism Department’s ‘Game Changer Schemes’, taking stock of private investment under the Tourism Policy-2023, initiatives to promote rural tourism, and various self-employment schemes.
The Chief Minister directed officials to present detailed reports on private investments, MoUs, and their grounding under the tourism policy. Highlighting tourism as a driver of economic empowerment, local employment, and migration control, he underscored the need for promoting winter tourism, strengthening tourist facilities, and assessing carrying capacities of popular destinations like Mussoorie and Nainital.
CM Dhami stressed speeding up the ‘Tracking Traction Centre Home-Stay Grant Scheme’ to link more local families with home stays, provide technical and financial assistance, and encourage self-employment along trekking routes. Reviewing the ‘Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Tourism Self-Employment Scheme’, he instructed timely disbursal of loans and grants and evaluation of its impact on youth and rural migration.
He also directed expediting work on the ‘Golju Corridor’ master plan (covering Almora, Champawat, Ghorakhal), developing Rudraprayag’s religious sites as an integrated tourist circuit, and preparing plans for adventure activities like mountain biking, paragliding, and river rafting along with carrying capacity assessments.
CM Dhami called for a special campaign to identify potential sites for wedding tourism and asked for an action plan within a month to develop Gangotri and Dhyanotthan as wellness and spiritual hubs under the ‘Spiritual Economic Zone’ concept. He also emphasized expanding the ‘Vibrant Village Scheme’ in border areas and creating theme-based ‘Tourism Villages’ at the Panchayat level.
Officials informed that under the ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyay Griha Awas Yojana’, about ₹50 crore grants have been provided to 1,085 beneficiaries and 5,331 home stays registered, with a target to add 245 new home stays in 2025-26. Through the ‘Tracking Traction Scheme’, 584 locals in 115 villages have benefited, and 18 trekking centers have been developed, mainly in Tehri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, and Pithoragarh.
Additionally, the ‘Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme’ has drawn 909 applications under the single-window system to attract projects above ₹5 crore and support local investors with projects between ₹1-5 crore.
Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretaries R.K. Sudhanshu and Meenakshi Sundaram, Tourism Secretary Dheeraj Singh Garbyal, Uttarakhand Resident Commissioner Ajay Mishra, and other officials attended the meeting.
