Friday, 10 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
All the departments involved will have to prepare a complete package to boost eco tourism in the State. Chief secretary SS Sandhu said this while chairing the first meeting of the high powered committee for encouraging eco tourism in the State here on Thursday.
Sandhu said that the Tourism, Forest, AYUSH and other departments are doing varied works at their level in the sphere of eco tourism. In order to attract tourists towards eco tourism, all the departments concerned will have to work in order to prepare a complete package. This is the reason why the high powered committee has been formed, he said.
The chief secretary further said that there is 100 times more potential than the eco tourism activities currently being undertaken in the State. Stressing on the need for joint efforts by the departments, he directed that the Tourism, Forest, Rural Development and AYUSH department should work together on the eco tourism plan. He also sought information about the various eco tourism activities being conducted by the Forest department. Sandhu said that the Tourism department also needs to encourage tourism activities in areas around forests. If the AYUSH department also establishes its wellness centres or herbal gardens in and around such areas, tourism activities will receive a considerable boost as the tourists will then be offered a complete package.
Sandhu pointed out that there is considerable demand for herbal products in India and abroad. Uttarakhand is quite capable of meeting this demand. Further, by linking horti-tourism with tourism activities, work can be done to further boost eco tourism. The chief secretary also directed the officials concerned to check how the Van Panchayats can be linked to such activities. Further, he also directed the Tourism department officials to conduct guide training programmes at a large scale in all areas.
Principal secretary RK Sudhanshu, secretaries Sachin Kurve, BVRC Purushottam, Pankaj Kumar Pandey and Vijay Kumar Yadav among other officials were also present in the meeting.
