Uttarakhand Starts Pilot Project Of Incentive Based Coupons To Revive Domestic Tourism

Wanderlust has been kicking in for months, and there is not one travel enthusiast who’s not dying to explore the beauty of the mountains at the earliest, especially the Devbhumi of Uttarakhand. Be it the mighty mountains of Mussoorie, the boating in Nainital Lake, a jungle-stay in Jim Corbett, or the sight of Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh, the travelers have been missing out on a lot. And to their surprise, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, Uttarakhand is now looking forward to reinstating the glory of the state’s tourism by following the footsteps of Europe and Japan.

In a bid to revive tourism, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board is willing to welcome the travelers not just with open arms but also with an incentive coupon on staying a minimum of three nights in the state. Treating the travelers to whichever is less from either an INR 1000 coupon or 25 percent of discount on accommodation charges, this initiative is expected to draw large numbers of visitors as well as boost the depreciating economy of the state.

While the date from which this scheme will be applicable is yet to be announced, it is estimated that this scheme will be funded from the CM’s relief fund and expenditure of INR 27 million is expected overall. After observing a similar step that was launched by the famous countries of Japan, Cyprus and Sicily earlier, the state cabinet was more than inspired to launch this idea under the banner of ‘Tourist Incentive Coupons’.

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Domestic travel had earlier witnessed a rise in terms of short vacations, weekend trips, treks, and offbeat stays in the pre-COVID times. As per the statement of T. Dilip Jawalkar – the tourism secretary of Uttarakhand, the state will not only be the first destination to launch such an initiative, but this incentive-based pilot project will also be seen as a major factor that will boost the travel-based economy of the state.

How To Avail This Incentive-Based Coupon

• Register yourself online under the official portal of Dehradun Smart City.
• Get a coupon of INR 1000 or 25% off on accommodation charges.
• The discount will then be adjusted in your final bill by the owner of the respective hotel or homestay.

Terms And Conditions

• This scheme is applicable only for hotels and homestays.
• A prerequisite of a minimum stay of 3 days is necessary.
• Applicable on properties located in limited regions of Uttarakhand.
• The owner of that particular hotel or homestay can claim the pending amount from the respective official departments of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board.
• This scheme is applicable for the pilgrims on their tour of Char Dhams.
• Safety guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Department are to be strictly followed at all times throughout the stay of these three days.

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While all of this will be executed under the supervision of the state’s COVID-19 task force, this initiative will remain a pilot test in nature for a month, and will only be continued for two more months on the basis of a strict screening of the development, and reviewing the results. Being in sync with the PM’s vocal for local initiative, the state of Uttarakhand is expecting this initiative to break the monotony post the lockdown for travelers, and come out with flying colors in the near future. Gearing up for a trip already?