The Tehri lake Adventure Tourism Festival was jointly inaugurated by State Tourism minister Dinesh Dhanai and Urban Development minister Pritam Singh Panwar at the Tehri dam reservoir here on Thursday. Experts from various parts of the country gave suggestions at a workshop held on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion Panwar said that the State government will consider the various suggestions made by experts and work for tourism development in the area to capitalise on the tourism potential of the dam reservoir and attract visitors from India and abroad. The locals will gain new means of employment and those undertaking the Char Dham Yatra will also be able to stay here, said Panwar.
Addressing the gathering, Dhanai said that the State government will develop the remote rural areas not yet established on the tourism map to boost tourism and generate employment for locals. Attempts will be made to link tourist destinations with pilgrimage. “Commercial activities will be conducted on the Tehri dam reservoir to facilitate employment for more than 20,000 locals and effectively tackle the migration of people from the mountainous region. A plan is being prepared to erect a rope-way from Khadkhala Nullah to New Tehri and linking this area with air service is also being planned. Suggestions made by enterprises involved in adventure tourism will also be considered by the government,” said the Tourism Minister.
More than a 100 participants from the State and various parts of India attended the workshop. The participants suggested means for boosting tourism in the State and facilitating developments in New Tehri to abet rural tourism in nearby areas. More than 50 persons involved in adventure sports and tourism sector were also present in the workshop. They opined that the dam reservoir had much potential for being developed into a hub of adventure tourism which would generate employment for the locals and also help improve the economy here.
Secretary, Tourism, Umakant Panwar spoke in detail about the proposals and plans related to eco huts, ring road, bazaar for local products, houseboats, motor cable car and other plans.