Uttarakhand: Four Villages To Receive National Tourism Award This Year

Recently Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, gave some good news. It is learned that four villages of the state have been nominated for the award of the ‘Best Tourism Village,’ handed out by the Union Ministry of Tourism.

Uttarakhand's Four Villages To Receive National Tourism Award This Year

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As per CMO’s statement, the attempts that have been made in order to transform Uttarakhand into a potential tourist attraction are starting to bear fruits. These villages selected will be feted for the achievement in rural tourism, on the Occasion of International Tourism Day in New Delhi. "The campaign to make Uttarakhand a tourist state is paying off. For promoting rural tourism, four villages of the state will be awarded the Best Tourism Village Award of International Tourism Day",  the CMO said. 

The four villages that have made it to the list of the awarded best performing rural centres include Jakhol and Harshil from Uttarkashi, Seemant Gunji from Pithoragarh, and Soupi from Nainital. Each of these villages possesses a unique characteristic. Adventure tourism is what makes Jakhol distinct, while Harshil and Seemant Gunji received awards being parts of the Vibrant Village programme. Soupi in Nainital deserves recognition for marketing itself as an agricultural tourist destination.

The Ministry of Tourism organizes this contest every year in order to purposefully present villages promoting culture, construction of natural features, and responsible tourism development. Such villages are an example of how to implement such forms of tourism that are not disturbing to the environment and are beneficial to the local population.

The chief minister Dhami acknowledged the efforts of the villagers and congratulated them on this accomplishment. He has also stressed the need for public participation in order to develop Uttarakhand as a premier tourist spot. Though the government has put in place several tourism schemes, he believes it is only the people who can make it a success. "The general public has an important role in the development of tourism in the state. The state government is making every effort to establish Uttarakhand as a tourist state, many schemes have been implemented for this, but this goal can be achieved only with the cooperation of God-like people of the state," Chief Minister Dhami said.

Uttarakhand, referred to as ‘Devbhoomi’ meaning the land of Gods, is a hilly state in northern India and is made up of two main geographical divisions Garhwal and Kumaon. So, the state has taken the further step and prepared several policies and programs with the aim of attracting the tourists.

Last year, Biswanath Ghat of Sonitpur district in Assam was awarded as the Best Tourism Village of India which sets a standard for other places to adopt and promote sustainable tourism.