Tourism based activities are ought to be registered under district tourism department to safeguard the tourism organisation and ensure the safety of tourists. Uttarakhand Tourism Department has notified 30 hotels including 7 ashrams which were running without being registered with the department. Department has given a week time to these hoteliers and ashrams to get them registered if not will be fined with INR 10 thousand or their property will be sealed.
As said by Prakash Khatri,the district tourism officer, Uttarkashi district ” State government’s Uttarakhand Tourism and Yatra Business Registration Rule-2016 states, every hotel, ashram, dharamshala, restaurant, adventure sport center, yoga center, souvenior shop, travel agency etc. whichever conducts tourism based activity must to be registered under tourism department. Anyone who deviates the rules will be penalised and their property may even be ceased.”
Uttarkashi district, one of the significant destinations of ‘char dham yatra’, is dotted with hundreds of hotels, ashrams, restaurants and other tourism-based infrastructures all over. As reported by Prakash singh khatri, “only 148 hotels, 46 homestays, 5 trekking and mountaineering agencies, 1 dharamshala and 1 tent colony have been registered so far. Therefore the department has decided to issue notice to all of them who are operating tourism based activities without proper registration. Initially the drive targeted about 78 hotels, ashrams and dharamshalas those having more than 20 rooms. Out of these, we have issued a notice to 23 hotels and 7 ashrams of district headquarter region and have asked to complete the registration process within a week.”
Appreciating the drive taken by the Uttarakhand government, Shailendra Matuda, President of Uttarkashi Hotel Association, has told, “By registering under tourism department will increase the department’s revenue and help in safeguarding the tourism organization and the tourists simultaneously. But it would have been better if the department instead of taking action, should have launched an awareness earlier.”
The step taken by Uttarakhand tourism department was highly needed. If accepted properly, it will support Uttarakhand’s continuous efforts to conserve its natural ecosystem; its rich culture and religious heritage and will ensure that it remains on top of everyone’s travel plan.
