PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Pithoragarh
In a major initiative aimed at promoting religious tourism, the Pithoragarh district administration has declared that the Adi Kailash Yatra would operate throughout the year, except during adverse weather conditions and unforeseen emergencies.
Speaking of this initiative, the district magistrate Ashish Bhatgain said that acting on the directions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, they have initiated the planning process to ensure uninterrupted pilgrimage to Adi Kailash. “We have directed all the line departments to prepare a comprehensive and coordinated action plan for the smooth implementation of the initiative,” he said, adding that the Adi Kailash Yatra would be conducted alongside the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, allowing both pilgrimages to function efficiently.
Notably, the administration has instructed multiple departments to prepare detailed plans covering road connectivity, drinking water, power supply, communication, healthcare, security, parking, sanitation, accommodation, food facilities, disaster management and other essential services.
The DM stressed that year-round operations are expected to significantly strengthen tourism in the border district. “The initiative is likely to generate employment and self-employment opportunities in hotels, homestays, transport services, handicrafts, local trade and other tourism-related sectors, providing a major boost to the local economy and livelihoods in the frontier region,” he added.
The administration also highlighted the remarkable rise in tourist footfalls following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Adi Kailash visit in October 2023. The district deputy director, Tourism, Atul Bhandari said that the region had received 17,408 visitors in 2023, while the figure increased more than seven-fold to 1, 25,277 in 2025. “In the current year, tourist footfalls have already crossed 76,930, with the number expected to exceed 1.5 lakh by the end of the year,” he added.
The tourism boom has also transformed the local economy. More than 550 homestays have come up in the region, creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local residents while enhancing accommodation and hospitality facilities for visitors.
Officials claimed that the growing tourism sector has encouraged local communities to expand into various tourism-related activities, contributing to the economic empowerment of the border region.
