- The number of tourists coming to Uttarakhand is expected to reach 67 million by 2026. However, studies on the tourism carrying capacity for the ecologically sensitive region are still awaited as the swiftly rising numbers continue to stress the environment.
- The popular pilgrimage circuit of Char Dham, especially Kedarnath, has seen massive redevelopment work since the June 2013 floods, with a boost in accommodation and transport services. While pilgrims are satisfied with the improvements, there seems to be a disregard for several reports that cautioned against such rapid development in the disaster-prone area.
- The Uttarakhand high court recently banned adventure tourism until a proper policy is in place to regulate such activities. Environmentalists want the government to regulate tourist influx to sensitive areas like Char Dham.
Once a haven for pilgrims, the quiet town of Kedarnath in the northern state of Uttarakhand is now abuzz with the sound of helicopters. Hundreds of tourists are ferried on these helicopters all through the day. On some occasions, as many as 300 sorties are made in one single day.
Uttarakhand, popular for its Hindu pilgrimage sites, attracts spiritual seekers from around the world. Known as Devbhoomi (land of Gods), the state, while recovering from the 2013 floods, is now also reeling under the pressure from unregulated tourism and the infrastructure to support it.
The hill state, specifically the Kedarnath Valley, witnessed horrifying destruction in the June 2013 floods. However, that hasn’t kept tourists at bay. While there was a slight dip following the tragedy which killed nearly 6,000 people (as per official sources), the number of tourists have picked up again.
In 2018, an unprecedented 30 million tourist arrivals are expected in the state, many of them domestic tourists to the important Hindu pilgrimage circuit of Char Dham in Uttarakhand.
The largely unregulated influx of tourists into the highly disaster-prone state seems to be taking a toll on the fragile ecosystem.
Several reports on the June 2013 floods stressed the need for regulating tourists coming to Uttarakhand to avoid repeated disasters. But the idea to regulate the high number of tourists and adopt sustainable tourism practices still remains on paper.