This document discusses tourism in the Pauri district of Uttarakhand, India. It provides background on tourism in India and Uttarakhand generally. It then focuses on Pauri, describing the local economy, climate, and key tourist attractions in the area like temples and viewpoints. Some of the main challenges discussed are the lack of adequate tourism infrastructure and over-reliance on religious tourism to the Char Dham circuit, which does not benefit all parts of the state equally. Environmental issues related to tourism are also mentioned, such as forest fires. The document analyzes opportunities and challenges for sustainable tourism development in Pauri.

1. Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Gharhwal University, Srinagar
(A Central University)
Centre for Mountain Tourism & Hospitality Sutdies
M.B.A. (Tourism) IIInd sem
Batch (2013-15)
PROBLEM AND PROSPECT IN TOURISM WIH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO PAURI
Submitted to Submitted by
Prakash Chandra Rout Saurav rawat

2. Contents
PROBLEM AND PROSPECT IN TOURISM
WIH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PAURI
• Introduction
• Study area: PAURI
SUBMITTED BY-SAURAV
RAWAT

3. INTRODUCTION
Countries and regions where the economy is driven by
the tourism industry have become increasingly
concerned with the environmental, as well as the socio-cultural
problems associated with unsustainable
tourism. As a result, there is now increasing agreement
on the need to promote sustainable tourism
development to minimize its environmental impact and
to maximize socio-economic overall benefits at tourist
destinations. The concept of sustainable tourism, as
developed by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in
the context of the United Nations sustainable
development process, refers to tourist activities
“leading to management of all resources in such a way
that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be
fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential
ecological processes, biological diversity and life
support systems”

4. • Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and
deepening diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in
the world. Modern tourism is closely linked to development and encompasses a
growing number of new destinations. These dynamics have turned tourism into a
key driver for socio-economic progress.
• Today, the business volume of tourism equals or even surpasses that of oil
exports, food products or automobiles. Tourism has become one of the major
players in international commerce, and represents at the same time one of the
main income sources for many developing countries. This growth goes hand in
hand with an increasing diversification and competition among destinations.
• This global spread of tourism in industrialised and developed states has
produced economic and employment benefits in many related sectors - from
construction to agriculture or telecommunications.
• The contribution of tourism to economic well-being depends on the quality and
the revenues of the tourism offer. UNWTO assists destinations in their
sustainable positioning in ever more complex national and international markets.
As the UN agency dedicated to tourism, UNWTO points out that particularly
developing countries stand to benefit from sustainable tourism and acts to help
make this a reality.

5. The tourism industry of India is economically
important and is growing rapidly. The World Travel &
Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated
INR6.4 trillion or 6.6% of the nation's GDP in 2012. It
supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total
employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an
average annual rate of 7.9% from 2013 to 2023.[1] This
gives India the third rank among countries with the
fastest growing tourism industries over the next
decade. India has a large medical tourism sector
which is expected to grow at an estimated rate of 30%
annually to reach about ₹ 95 billion by 2015.

6. • According to provisional statistics 6.29 million foreign
tourists arrived in India in 2011, an increase of 8.9% from
5.78 million in 2010. This ranks India as the 38th country
in the world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Domestic
tourist visits to all states and Union Territories numbered
1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from
2011.The most represented countries are the United
States (16%) and the United Kingdom (12.6%). In
2011, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi were the most
popular states for foreign tourists. Domestic tourists
visited the states Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu most
frequently. Chennai, Delhi,Mumbai and Agra have been
the four most visited cities of India by foreign tourists
during the year 2011. Worldwide, Chennai is ranked 41 by
the number of foreign tourists, while Delhi is ranked at
50, Mumbai at 57 and Agra at 65 and Kolkata at 99

7. • The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report
2013 ranks India 65th out of 144 countries overall. The
report ranks the price competitiveness of India's
tourism sector 20th out of 144 countries. It mentions
that India has quite good air transport (ranked 39th),
particularly given the country’s stage of development,
and reasonable ground transport infrastructure (ranked
42nd). Some other aspects of its tourism infrastructure
remain somewhat underdeveloped however. The
nation has very few hotel rooms per capita by
international comparison and
low ATM penetration.[6] The World Tourism
Organization reported that India's receipts from
tourism during 2012 ranked 16th in the world, and 7th
among Asian and Pacific countries

8. • The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies
for the development and promotion of tourism.
In the process, the Ministry consults and
collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector
including various Central Ministries/agencies,
state governments, Union Territories and the
representatives of the private sector. Concerted
efforts are being made to promote new forms of
tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism.[
8] The Ministry also maintains
the Incredible India campaign.
• India's rich history and its cultural and
geographical diversity make its international
tourism appeal large and diverse. It presents
heritage and cultural tourism along with medical,
business, educational and sports tourism.

9. ABOUT UTTRAKHAND
• Uttarakhand, the 27th state of the Republic of India, is
called "the abode of the Gods" or referred as the "Heaven
on Earth". It contains glaciers, snow-clad mountains, valley
of flowers, skiing slopes and dense forests, and many
shrines and places of pilgrimage. Char-dhams, the four
most sacred and revered Hindu
temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are
nestled in the Himalayas.Haridwar which means Gateway
to God is the only place on the plains.
• It holds the watershed for Gangetic River System spanning
300 km from Satluj in the west to Kali river in the
east. Nanda Devi (25640 Ft) is the second highest peak in
India
after Kanchenjunga (28160 Ft). Dunagiri, Neelkanth, Chauk
hamba, Panchachuli, Trisul are other peaks above 23000 Ft.
It is considered the abode of Devtas, Yakashyas, Kinners,
Fairies and Sages.[45] It has some old hill-stations developed
during British era
like Mussoorie, Almora, Dwarahat, Ranikhet and Nainital.

10. • Glaciers
Pindari Glacier, Milam Glacier, Gangotri Glacier,Bunder
Punch Glacier, Khatling Glacier, Doonagiri
Glacier, Dokrani Glacier, Kaphini Glacier, Ralam Glacier
• Wildlife Reserves
Corbett National Park, Rajaji National Park, Asan
Conservation Reserve, Nanda Devi National
Park,Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, Askot Musk Deer
Sanctuary (Askot), Valley of Flowers
• Adventure Sports
Skiing at Mundali, Auli, Dayara Bagyal andMunsiyari.
Paragliding at Yelagiri. Trekking
atMussoorie, Uttarkashi, Joshimath, Munsiyari,Chaukor
i, Pauri, Almora, Nainital

11. • In Uttarakhand tourism is consider to be an important vehicle for
economic and social development. The tourism industry has the
potential to generate foreign exchange earnings, create
employment, promote development in various parts of the Region,
reduce income and employment disparities among regions,
strengthen linkages among many sectors of the national as well as
state economy and help to alleviate poverty. However, this standard
view of the tourism industry does not give a complete picture of
the potential contribution that tourism can provide for parts of
country in general and other countries in particular. A more
complete viewpoint can be provided by the concept of sustainable
tourism development, because it can help policy-makers make
more effective policies and plans designed to realize the full social
and economic potential of the tourism industry. Sustainable tourism
development is premised on the responsibility of governments and
all stakeholders in the tourism sector to ensure that long-term
prosperity and the quality of life of future generations is not placed
at risk. With imposing majestic snow clad mountains, deep blue
rivers, friendly people, good roads and negligible crime,
Uttarakhand should be a tourist’s paradise. One look at its high
altitude meadows should be enough to make one fall in love with it.
Yet sadly, even the internationally famous Valley of Flowers laments
the virtual absence of tourists, year after year.

12. STUDY AREA
• Pauri Garhwal is a district in the Uttarakhand state
of India. Its headquarters is at the town of Pauri. Pauri
Garhwal district is surrounded by
the Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri
Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Almora and Nainital di
stricts on three sides. The southern boundary of Pauri
Garhwal district borders the Bijnor district of Uttar
Pradesh. This district lies partly in the Gangetic plains
and partly in the Himalayan North. The climate of Pauri
Garhwal is very cold in winter and pleasant in summer.
In rainy season the climate is very cool & full of
greenness. However, in Kotdwar and the adjoining
Bhabar area it is quite hot reaching high 40s Celsius
during the summer.and in winter session it remained
heavy snow fall most part of the pauri district.

13. Economy
• The main occupation of the population is agriculture.
Some large and small industrial units have been
established around Kotdwara e.g. SIDCUL. Major
companies working in the region are Sidhbali Steels,
Wipro, Banjosh, Simpex Pharma and Sr Sri Ayurveda
beside others. Army / para-military forces and teaching
are a major source of employment for young people.
Due to the lack of required infrastructure and the
geography of the area, there are no major industries in
the hilly part of the district. Banjosh Group has also
come with first ever integrated Mushroom growing
plant in Pauri Garhwal at Sigaddi with an installed
capacity of 700 MT per annum.

14. Objectives
• To assess the existing and hidden potential for
tourism in the study area.
• To examine the available facilities and support
infrastructure with regard to all forms of
tourism.
• to propose solutions that could help improve
tourism.

15. Tourism in PAURI
• Tourism in Pauri Garhwal District includes a number of exploring
options. Pauri Garhwal is considered nature's paradise and attracts
people through its charm and magnificence. The beautiful valleys,
snow clad mountain peaks, and amazing features of nature are key
components that attract travellers. Moreover,tourism in Pauri will
be considered incomplete without paying a visit to its ancient
temples. Some of the main places of interest in Pauri are as follows.
• Danda Nagraja Temple
• The holy shrine of Danda Nagraja is a very popular pilgrimage
among the Garhwali people. Garhwalis from around the country
visit the shrine everyday. It is located in the Village Lasera, Patti
Banelsyun, District Pauri (lap of Mountains). The temple gets its
name from Garhwali word 'Danda', which means peak. Since the
location of the temple was in a forest, local people started calling it
Danda Nagraja - Nagraja on the peak.
• Reaching There
• Danda Nagraja can easily be reached by taking a bus either from
Kotdwara or Pauri. Frequency of buses is very limited and there are
hardly more than two buses you'll get on this route. The best option
is to hire a taxi. Danda Nagraja Temple is approximately 90 km from
Kotdwara, 45 km from Satpuli and 35 km from Pauri.

16. • Jwalpa Devi Temple
• This is a famous shaktipeeth of garhwal dedicated to Goddess Jwalpa. It is
situated on the Right Bank of the Nawalika River(gaadan), 34 km from
Pauri, on the main Pauri- Kotdwar road. According to a legend in Skandha
Puraan, Sachi(daughter of the demon king Pulom) wanted to marry devraj
Indra so she worshipped The Supreme mother Goddess 'Shakti' here at
this place. The Goddess then appeared in the form of Deeptimaan
Jwalehwari and her wish was fulfilled. This name then gradually as the
time passed was cut short and moduled to Jwalpa Devi. Adi Guru
Shankaracharya visited and prayed in this temple and it is said that The
Goddess appeared to him. Every year Navratri fair is held twice, on the
occasion of Chitra and Shardiya Navratri. Anthwals are the traditional
priests and care-takers of this temple as the present temple was
constructed by Late Pt Shri Dutta Ram Anthwal(Anthwals being the
zameendaar of the area, originally from village Aneth). Every year
thousands of people visit this temple, specially unmarried girls as it is said
that the girls get fine grooms just like Indraani(sachi) got Lord Indra by the
grace of The Goddess.
• Kandoliya Devta
The main temples of the city are Kandoliya Devta, Laxmi Narayan,
Kyunkaleshwar Mahadev and Hanuman mandir. Every year, a ‘Bhandara‘ is
organized in the premises of the Temple of the Kandoliya Devta and
thousands of people from Pauri and near by villages participate in it.

17. • The city is blessed with a number of picnic spots
surrounded by ‘Deodar‘ forests and filled with natural
beauty viz. Ransi, Kandoliya, Nag Dev, Jhandi Dhar etc.
Every year ‘Sharadotsav’ is celebrated in the city since
1974.
• Kyunkaleshwar Mahadev
• It is an 8th-century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva offering
astonishing views of the snow laden Himalayas.The temple
is situated in the suburbs of the main town Pauri.The
presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva accompanied by
Goddess Parvati,Ganesha and Karthikeyan.
• Chaukhamba View Point
• Situated only 4 km from Pauri.Chaukhamba View Point
ridge overlooks the splendid idwal valley and Chaukhamba
Peaks.It is one of the prominent places of Pauri because of
its mesmerizing scenic vistas.

18. • Best Time to Visit Pauri
• The best time to travel the destination starts
in the month of March and remains till
November as the weather remains pleasant
during this entire period.
• PAURI TOURIST PLACE
• People all over the world come here for a
bird's eye view of the lofty Himalayas. Lying at
a height of 3100 above the sea level, Pauri
attracts uncountable visitors from across the
world.

19. • Uttarakhand’s tourism policy is unfortunately based
primarily on the Char Dham Circuit. Though the
number of people undertaking this pilgrimage is mind
boggling and it does contribute substantially to
Government’s kitty, yet its benefit is limited to the
people living in the four towns. Bus loads of pilgrims’
breeze through the State doing all the four Dhams in as
little as 4 days. Focusing excessively on the Char
Dhams downplays the importance of development of
tourism in other parts of the State and prevents more
equitable distribution of economic gains. Facilities
developed for pilgrims may not be appropriate for
general tourists. An indicator to the sad state of affairs
is the virtual absence of foreign tourists in
Uttarakhand. Barely 0.75% of all foreign tourists visited
Uttarakhand in 2006. Growth in absolute numbers was
12.2%, way below the National average of 14.7%.
Comparison with Himachal Pradesh reveals an even
more sorry state of affairs.

20. Environmental Issues
• What happened in Uttarakhand is truly tragic, and while tourism brings
money and development to the region, it can also do unintentional
damage to fragile ecosystems. Here are some of the key issues that face
the conservation of natural resources in the state:
• Forest fires: Every summer, hundreds of hectares of forests are affected by
such forest fires. Wild fires lead to loss of human lives and wildlife species
and also cause damage to the ecosystem. Almost every forest fire is
caused by human beings. Some areas are set afire by local communities to
reduce grass on the forest floor. Many fires are caused by travellers
throwing cigarette butts on roads passing through forests.
• Non-biodegradable waste: Today, even remote hill villages have a ‘Noodle
Point’ selling packaged food, soft drinks and water in plastic bottles. A lot
of this waste is carelessly strewn across natural trails and campsites. If
burnt, they release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Counter this
with the mantra of ‘reduce, reuse & recycle’. If visitors carried back empty
bottles and packaging waste, it would go a long way towards keeping our
wilderness pristine.
• Water conservation: Given that some of India’s most important rivers
originate here, it is ironic that water conservation remains a burning issue
in Uttarakhand. A large number of natural springs that dotted the hillside
have been damaged due to the cutting of slopes for road building or other
unplanned activities. These have adversely affected the underground
water table at many places.

21. What ails Tourism in Uttarakhand?
• To encourage tourists, basic changes need to be incorporated into
Uttarakhand’s tourism policy. Building five star hotels in Dehra Dun,
airports or helipads will not improve the situation. It may increase
the arrival of very wealthy travelers but the employment it will
generate for locals only be as porters and dish washers. Also a very
small percentage of domestic and foreign tourists will travel by air
or helicopters in Uttarakhand or stay in 5 star hotels in Dehra Dun.
The answer could lie in building a huge number of small but
modern and comfortable 3 - 4 roomed hotels in all villages of
Uttarakhand. They could be built by the Government in land
belonging to locals, who could then be employed by the
Government to run it and once the Government recovers the
amount it invested, the hotel should be handed over to the locals
and another new hotel built and started in the same village. That
would change the face of Uttarakhand and also reverse the mass
migration of men to the plains.

22. • Marketing of these hotels must be done by GMVNL even after the
hand over. Almost all villages of Uttarakhand are exceptionally
beautiful and can serve as weekend hangouts for urban people, as
a place of relaxation for the stressed out and as places of
inspiration for writers and poets, if properly marketed.
•
The existing GMVNL hotels need a major overhaul. At present
they can best be classified as budget hotels catering to lower
middle class tourists. Even though they are cheap, middle class
and foreign tourists look for quality and don’t mind paying more
for it. Smelly carpets, stained bed sheets, out of order bath rooms
are common in all GMVNL guest houses.
• Waste disposal from hotels needs to be looked into. Hotels often
pollute the area they are in, by simply dumping all the garbage
down the hill. Tourists should be encouraged to report such hotels
to GMVNL which then should forward the information to
concerned authorities.

23. • Marketing of Uttarakhand as a tourist destination should
not be limited to TV advertisements. A 24hrs toll free
helpline and a 24hrs live chat at GMVNL Website could be
started, with expert personnel ready to woo tourists.
Bookings should also be accepted by phone /chat and
amount manually charged using a Credit Card Machine.
This helpline / chat line should also accept feedback /
complaints from tourists. While GMVNL Guest houses can
be booked online, online booking of bus tickets should
also be started. In places where GMVNL does not have a
guest house, it should book with reputed hotels / guest
houses on behalf of tourists, instead of just referring
them. Forest Rest Houses could also be booked by GMVNL
on behalf of tourists, as direct booking is a cumbersome
procedure. This will open a much wider and richer area for
tourism. Adventure tourism has a great potential in
Uttarakhand. At present, it is very difficult for lay tourists
to differentiate reliable operators from fly-by-night
operators

24. • Finally, to enable the local youth in villages to gain
more meaningful employment other than as porters
or dish cleaners, outreach programs should be
started to train them as Tourist Guides, with relevant
local information. With a certificate in hand, with a
hotel nearby ,they will contribute much more to the
economic development of Uttarakhand than building
5 star hotels in Dehra Dun.
Uttarakhand is second to none as far as natural
beauty is concerned and it would be beneficial if we
could attract well spending middle class tourists and
foreigners to our State. Increase in the number of
pilgrims should not lull us into complacency. We must
empower the local population all over the State to
benefit from tourism, only then will a new dawn break
over Uttarakhand.

25. SOLUTION
• Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and
socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable
balance must be established between these three dimensions to
guarantee its long-term sustainability. Thus, sustainable tourism
should:
1. Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key
element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological
processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
2. Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities,
conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional
values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and
tolerance.
3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic
benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed,
including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and
social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty
alleviation

26. Solutions:
• Forest cover has to be expanded, river flows
and ecologies have to be sustained and
wildlife has to be protected in a manner that
enables livelihoods to grow. For protecting
existing forests, village women should receive
free cooking gas cylinders at their homes in
payment for providing ecological services to
the rest of India. Such payments can generate
revenues for Himalayan states that pursue
green development policies.