Uttarakhand tourism incurs Rs 12,000 cr revenue loss
Updated: Jun 26, 2013 03:56:56pm
From Swati Dayal
Dehradun, Jun 26 (KNN) Uttarakhand tourism industry has suffered a revenue loss of Rs 12,000 crore owing to the devastating floods which took life and livelihood of thousands of people here.
“The state has lost revenue earnings of about Rs 12,000 crore from its tourism sector alone in the current fiscal on account of torrential rains that devastated the state. Close to about 11 per cent of the state’s GSDP has been ruined in terms of prospective tourism earnings on account of the floods in all its riverbeds through which the services sector, specially the tourism industry was flourishing in the state in the last couple of years,” said an assessment by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), PHD Research Bureau.
In a statement issued here today, the Executive Director, PHDCCI Saurabh Sanyal, said, ‘Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Uttarakhand at factor cost at current prices stands at about Rs 1,07,548 crore in the year that came to an end on March 31, 2013, 11 per cent of the GSDP has been washed away in terms of prospective tourism earnings due to floods that engulfed the state in mid of this month.”
Around 60 per cent of the total tourism prospectus of the state has been severely damaged due to excessive rains, remains of which are even hardly seen as indicated in the pictures carried out by army, air force, as well as government and privately owned helicopters, said the quick assessment.
Speaking to KNN, Joint Director of the State Tourism Development Board, Shiv Kumar Gupta said that the loss was enormous and it was still too early to estimate the figures.
“Tourists will stop coming here after this incident. They will only come here when they are satisfied that the infrastructure has been rebuilt,” he said.
“The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has already indicated that it will take a minimum of one year to rebuild infrastructure like roads, buildings etc. However, no work is being done in the higher regions due to extreme bad weather conditions. In the lower regions, the administration is planning to start rehabilitation,” Gupta added.
Reconstruction of damaged tourist destinations is expected to extensively burden the state government in the wake of rising input costs such as mounting prices of cement, iron, labour costs etc.
PHD Chamber’s assessment also indicated that tourist zones need to be well connected by road, rail, and airports. “The potential of tourism sector needs to be diversified to overcome the seasonality factor and to create employment for year-round tourism,” it said.
Uttarakhand is a state where the number of tourists visiting the place is more than the total population of the state.
Uttarakhand’s economy posted an annual average real growth rate of 12.4 per cent during the period 2005-06 to 2012-13. The services sector contributes around 53 per cent in GSDP followed by the industry and agriculture sectors at around 36 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in 2012-13.
The share of tourism alone in the GSDP of the state is estimated at around 25-30 per cent.
Tourism, being the main source of employment and livelihood in the state, especially in the small sector, has crumbled due to floods, completely ruining infrastructure in the flood hit areas.
Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Guarikund are among the main tourist destinations in the state which see millions of pilgrims every year. Tourism is also concentrated vastly alongside the rivers of Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Mandakini and Dhauliganga in both Garhwal and Kumoan regions. (SD/KNN)
Dehradun, Jun 26 (KNN) Uttarakhand tourism industry has suffered a revenue loss of Rs 12,000 crore owing to the devastating floods which took life and livelihood of thousands of people here.
“The state has lost revenue earnings of about Rs 12,000 crore from its tourism sector alone in the current fiscal on account of torrential rains that devastated the state. Close to about 11 per cent of the state’s GSDP has been ruined in terms of prospective tourism earnings on account of the floods in all its riverbeds through which the services sector, specially the tourism industry was flourishing in the state in the last couple of years,” said an assessment by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), PHD Research Bureau.
In a statement issued here today, the Executive Director, PHDCCI Saurabh Sanyal, said, ‘Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Uttarakhand at factor cost at current prices stands at about Rs 1,07,548 crore in the year that came to an end on March 31, 2013, 11 per cent of the GSDP has been washed away in terms of prospective tourism earnings due to floods that engulfed the state in mid of this month.”
Around 60 per cent of the total tourism prospectus of the state has been severely damaged due to excessive rains, remains of which are even hardly seen as indicated in the pictures carried out by army, air force, as well as government and privately owned helicopters, said the quick assessment.
Speaking to KNN, Joint Director of the State Tourism Development Board, Shiv Kumar Gupta said that the loss was enormous and it was still too early to estimate the figures.
“Tourists will stop coming here after this incident. They will only come here when they are satisfied that the infrastructure has been rebuilt,” he said.
“The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has already indicated that it will take a minimum of one year to rebuild infrastructure like roads, buildings etc. However, no work is being done in the higher regions due to extreme bad weather conditions. In the lower regions, the administration is planning to start rehabilitation,” Gupta added.
Reconstruction of damaged tourist destinations is expected to extensively burden the state government in the wake of rising input costs such as mounting prices of cement, iron, labour costs etc.
PHD Chamber’s assessment also indicated that tourist zones need to be well connected by road, rail, and airports. “The potential of tourism sector needs to be diversified to overcome the seasonality factor and to create employment for year-round tourism,” it said.
Uttarakhand is a state where the number of tourists visiting the place is more than the total population of the state.
Uttarakhand’s economy posted an annual average real growth rate of 12.4 per cent during the period 2005-06 to 2012-13. The services sector contributes around 53 per cent in GSDP followed by the industry and agriculture sectors at around 36 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in 2012-13.
The share of tourism alone in the GSDP of the state is estimated at around 25-30 per cent.
Tourism, being the main source of employment and livelihood in the state, especially in the small sector, has crumbled due to floods, completely ruining infrastructure in the flood hit areas.
Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Guarikund are among the main tourist destinations in the state which see millions of pilgrims every year. Tourism is also concentrated vastly alongside the rivers of Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Mandakini and Dhauliganga in both Garhwal and Kumoan regions. (SD/KNN)
Loading...
