Challenges in Tourism development :

The picturesque state of Uttarakhand is nestled between the snow topped Himalayan ranges in North India. Known for its spectacular and panoramic landscapes, this traveler's paradise is blessed with lofty snow peaks, deep gorges, verdant valleys, thundering rivers, enchanting mountain lakes, flower carpeted meadows, ancient temples, and magnificent monasteries steeped in time. Dotted with numerous hill stations, Uttarakhand till date is  not able to utilize its tourism potential the way it can. The challenges tourism sector witnessed are :

Traffic congestion :

Cities like Masoorie, Dehradun, Haridwar needless to say, is heavily choked with traffic jams. During peak hours on a normal day, it takes an arduous amount of time to get from one place to another.A chaos has been there due to traffic when tourist season is in its full flow. Though a lot is being done – widening of the roads, following alternative routes etc. but that won’t suffice. Various places like in state also got so busy during peak season.

Parking facility :

Parking has been a serious problem in Himachal, especially capital city Dehradun, literally seen people fighting for a small space. And the local residents have to find faraway nooks to park their car because the designated packing spaces want to earn money by quoting higher prices at peak seasons to tourist.

Poor Air Connectivity :

Among the airports of the hill state –Jolly Grant Airport, also known as Dehradun airport, ‎Naini Saini Airport, ‎Pantnagar Airport, Bharkot Airport  none have regular flights. The issues behind connectivity root from lack of basic infrastructure problems. There’s no night landing facility, runways are small and airports can’t handle a large influx of people. The three airports here are not adequately stocked with other amenities like restaurants, food kiosk etc. The flights are also frequently cancelled due to bad weather.

 Competition from neighbouring states :

Tourists are also flocking to Jammu & Kashmir which is slowly opening up; but presently witnessing lockdown, with Himachal too winning the spot among travellers. Needless to say, they have better connectivity and with time they will win the tourism bandwagon.

Even the branding and marketing of Himachal isn’t up to the mark. In fact, there’s no marketing, the Incredible Himachal promotion still lags behind. In a time where social media, internet and other ways to promote are being used by other states, Uttarakhand is way-way behind. It is yet to see a full-fledged, contemporary and swanky ad campaign thoroughly dedicated to state.

Railway connectivity :

 Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Railway line,  It is Indian Railways' proposed route for the Char Dham Railway to connect to the Chota Char Dham. It is one of the initiatives of NDA Government to counter China's expansion, Dehradun - Rishikesh railway line are not able to full potential.

No new routes have been explored, no modernization, no new technology implemented. If a tourist is given a better connectivity option, they would choose to travel to other states via flights or fast-moving trains. The altitude sickness coupled with motion sickness through meandering roads isn’t something everyone loves. Hence, an immense scope for improvement lies in improving the overall transportation sphere in Uttarakhand.

 Ignoring Eco-tourism :

Uttarakhand is gifted with topographic diversity, historical monuments and religious shrines. But along with this, the state is also balanced on the fulcrum of fragile environment. Nothing has been done to promote eco-tourism in this state at the scale it needs to be done. This has both an opportunity for the tourism industry to gain more momentum, while also save the ecosystem of the state.

The State’s Forest Department alone manages more than 400 forest bungalows that are located at various peak points across the length and breadth of the State. But there is no promotion done on behalf of the department or any advert related targeted at eco-tourism.

Lack of promoting art and culture :

Himalyan state has a rich heritage of handicrafts. These include woolen and pashmina shawls, carpets, silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other houses hold items.

There is such a huge treasure of local handcraft  if promoted it will be a hit both in national and international markets. But the there has been no attempt by the Government to either support or promoted local handicraft. If nothing is done then with time these timeless legacy might just vanish in oblivion forget about attracting tourists.

Tourism has been repeatedly tagged as one of the most important sectors for the state economy in terms of foreign exchange earnings and creation of employment opportunities. If it is attached with local handicraft and specialties, just imagine the scope of employment it can unearth. 

Safety threats :

2012 Himalayan flash floods, 2013Tragedy , 2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Gohna Lake dam-burst, Malpa landslide, 2017 Uttarakhand earthquake and other disaster and the government manage and their preparedness, keep peoples away from this beautiful state. So government in collaboration with people keep themshelves alert and prepared so that any natural calamity can be averted to some extent.

The safety of tourists has always been the concern with law and order seldom being an issue in the state. But other safety aspects do matter such as with adventure sports which are a prominent highlight of the state.

There are many illegal operators in the ropeway business with either inadequate knowledge on safety norms or foolproof safety equipment. The foolproof safety steps taken by Goa, Bangkok, Switzerland and Malaysia need to be studied in detailed and need to be emulated which presently stay amiss.