Uttarakhand tourism to witness loss of Rs 4170 cr annually and direct employment of 1,80,000 people
Updated: Jul 31, 2013 02:26:40pm
New Delhi, Jul 31 (KNN) Uttarakhand’s largest employment provider, the tourism sector has taken a massive hit estimated at 85 per cent during the post-flood disaster, according to a survey conducted by ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF).
The devastation caused by the floods and landslides has badly hurt the Uttarakhand tourism industry.
Floods in Uttarakhand have not only destroyed tourist infrastructure like hotels, bed and breakfast inns and restaurants but set back tourism for the entire state by at least five years, said Secretary General of Assocham, D S Rawat.
Some hotels in worse-hit areas like Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts have been completely swept away in the deluge.
Tourism sector would also witness a direct employment loss of about 1,80,000 people becoming unemployed for 6 months in the current year. The rationale for this assumption is that there are a total of 179218 households in the three districts as per 2011 census, adds the ASSOCHAM report.
Given the extent of their association in the tourism and hospitality sector, it would be reasonable to expect at least one person from a household to be directly employed in tourism. The sector would lose as much as Rs 4170 crore per year.
“While the char dham may take years to recover, even places like Mussoorie and Nainital that were not affected by the disaster are seeing a steep decline of 75 per cent in tourists.
“People have a fear of being trapped and therefore are cancelling their trips, said Secretary General of Assocham, D S Rawat, while releasing the ASSOCHAM paper.
There is a steep fall in tourism business to the extent of 85 per cent in Uttarakhand. Though three districts viz, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli mainly bore the brunt, adjacent districts and the state as a whole suffered destruction of unprecedented magnitude.
A substantial number people make a living on tourism in Uttarakhand and they have been badly affected. They earn enough money in six months to last them the entire year. Now, some of them are migrating to other states to start over again.
Hotels in Mussoorie and Nanital generally see 100 per cent occupancy during this time of the year. But it has dropped to less than 20 per cent owing to fear of nature. Corbett National park is no different. It is also witnessing similar crisis, added Rawat.
The paper asserted the cost of damages occurred to housing properties, crops, livestock, tourism- the prime livelihood in the affected area, destruction of transport and communication systems and breakdown of public and rural extension services.
The report has been prepared on the basis of feedback provided by the team from ASSOCHAM to affected areas in three districts.
Further, agricultural land of small and marginal farmers in 156 villages across the hill districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Tehri and Bageshwar had been destroyed. Rudraprayag has suffered the maximum damage.
The hill state has seen migration of marginal farmers in the last couple of months amid dwindling returns, but the circumstances this year might trigger an exodus.
Every year, 23 to 24 lakh pilgrims arrive in the state for the Char Dham Yatra – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The disaster has hit tourism badly.
The study reveals that tourists are opting for "safer places" like Rajasthan, Goa, Kashmir and even Kerala to spend their holidays. Destinations like Jaipur, Agra, Udaipur and Mount Abu have benefitted the most with travellers making last minute bookings post shifting of their holiday plans. (KNN/SD)
The devastation caused by the floods and landslides has badly hurt the Uttarakhand tourism industry.
Floods in Uttarakhand have not only destroyed tourist infrastructure like hotels, bed and breakfast inns and restaurants but set back tourism for the entire state by at least five years, said Secretary General of Assocham, D S Rawat.
Some hotels in worse-hit areas like Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts have been completely swept away in the deluge.
Tourism sector would also witness a direct employment loss of about 1,80,000 people becoming unemployed for 6 months in the current year. The rationale for this assumption is that there are a total of 179218 households in the three districts as per 2011 census, adds the ASSOCHAM report.
Given the extent of their association in the tourism and hospitality sector, it would be reasonable to expect at least one person from a household to be directly employed in tourism. The sector would lose as much as Rs 4170 crore per year.
“While the char dham may take years to recover, even places like Mussoorie and Nainital that were not affected by the disaster are seeing a steep decline of 75 per cent in tourists.
“People have a fear of being trapped and therefore are cancelling their trips, said Secretary General of Assocham, D S Rawat, while releasing the ASSOCHAM paper.
There is a steep fall in tourism business to the extent of 85 per cent in Uttarakhand. Though three districts viz, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli mainly bore the brunt, adjacent districts and the state as a whole suffered destruction of unprecedented magnitude.
A substantial number people make a living on tourism in Uttarakhand and they have been badly affected. They earn enough money in six months to last them the entire year. Now, some of them are migrating to other states to start over again.
Hotels in Mussoorie and Nanital generally see 100 per cent occupancy during this time of the year. But it has dropped to less than 20 per cent owing to fear of nature. Corbett National park is no different. It is also witnessing similar crisis, added Rawat.
The paper asserted the cost of damages occurred to housing properties, crops, livestock, tourism- the prime livelihood in the affected area, destruction of transport and communication systems and breakdown of public and rural extension services.
The report has been prepared on the basis of feedback provided by the team from ASSOCHAM to affected areas in three districts.
Further, agricultural land of small and marginal farmers in 156 villages across the hill districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Tehri and Bageshwar had been destroyed. Rudraprayag has suffered the maximum damage.
The hill state has seen migration of marginal farmers in the last couple of months amid dwindling returns, but the circumstances this year might trigger an exodus.
Every year, 23 to 24 lakh pilgrims arrive in the state for the Char Dham Yatra – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The disaster has hit tourism badly.
The study reveals that tourists are opting for "safer places" like Rajasthan, Goa, Kashmir and even Kerala to spend their holidays. Destinations like Jaipur, Agra, Udaipur and Mount Abu have benefitted the most with travellers making last minute bookings post shifting of their holiday plans. (KNN/SD)
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