PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) has recorded bookings worth over Rs 12.12 crore so far for its properties under its online and offline booking system for Char Dham Yatra. Based on the bookings in GMVN guest houses, a significant number of pilgrims are expected to participate in the Yatra this year, the Tourism and Culture minister Satpal Maharaj said.
He stated that the Char Dham Yatra is proceeding in an organised and uninterrupted manner but due to the situation in Pahalgam and fears of conflict, the number of tourists in Mussoorie and other tourist destinations in the State is currently below expectations. However, he expressed confidence that once the situation normalises, a larger number of tourists will visit Uttarakhand.
Maharaj also appealed to hotel operators to maintain the quality of their services in line with the ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava to help increase the number of tourists. He emphasised the need to pay special attention to welcoming pilgrims coming for the Yatra and tourists visiting other destinations in the State. Since the commencement of Char Dham Yatra on April 30, a total of over 25.26 lakh registrations have been done so far and around 2.5 lakh devotees have already visited the Char Dhams, Maharaj added.
