Modi promotes winter tourism in Uttarakhand, says State should not have ‘off-season’
Making a special appeal to people from across the country that they should hold winter destination weddings, school trips and business meetings in Uttarakhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday (March 6, 2025) that the State should not have an ‘off-season’.
Flagging off a trek and bike rally at Harsil under the winter tourism programme, the Prime Minister said winter tourism was a significant step in the direction of aiding and harnessing Uttarakhand’s economic potential. He said Uttarakhand provided opportunities for visitors to recharge and re-energise through yoga and Ayurveda and also appealed to universities, private schools, and colleges to consider the State for students’ winter trips and congratulated the Uttarakhand government for this innovative effort and extended his best wishes for the State’s progress.
“Diversifying and making the tourism sector a year-round activity is important and necessary for Uttarakhand”, said Mr. Modi, who also remarked that there should be no “off-season” in the State and tourism should thrive in every season.
He mentioned that currently, tourism in the hills was seasonal, with a significant influx of tourists during March, April, May, and June. However, he added that the number of tourists dropped drastically afterwards, leaving most hotels, resorts, and homestays vacant during winters. He pointed out that this imbalance led to economic stagnation for a large part of the year in Uttarakhand and also posed challenges to the environment. He also highlighted the thrill of activities like trekking and skiing that winter tourism in the region provided.
Appeal to corporates
Suggesting the concept of “Gham Tapo” (bask in sun) tourism in the State, Mr. Modi urged the corporate world to participate in winter tourism by organising meetings, conferences, and exhibitions in the region, emphasising the vast potential of the MICE sector in Uttarakhand.
Pointing out the significant contribution of the wedding economy, worth thousands of crores, the Prime Minister reiterated his appeal to the people of the country to “Wed in India” and encouraged prioritising Uttarakhand as a destination for winter weddings.
He also expressed his expectations from the Indian film industry, noting that Uttarakhand had been awarded the title of the “Most Film-Friendly State.” He emphasised the rapid development of modern facilities in the region, making Uttarakhand an ideal destination for film shootings during winters.
To mention, the Uttarakhand government has initiated a Winter Tourism programme this year. The winter seats of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath were visited by around 50,000 people so far. The programme is aimed to promote religious tourism and boost the local economy, homestays, tourism businesses, among others.
