Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said On Saturday that tourism is the state's economic backbone and urged a concerted effort to boost it.

"The promotion of tourism was at the heart of Uttarakhand's statehood campaign. It serves as the foundation of our economy. "To improve our tourist and hospitality industry, we need to work together," Dhami remarked during a tourism and hospitality conference here. When Uttarakhand celebrates its silver jubilee of independence in 2025, he believes tourism would play a significant role in catapulting it among the country's top states. He predicted that the 'Char Dham yatra,' which begins next month, will set new records for pilgrim footfall because it will be the first time in two years that the pilgrimage will be free of COVID restrictions.

He also urged those working in the tourism and hospitality industries to come up with new ways to promote local cuisine and specialities to visitors. He claims that projects such as the Char Dham all-weather road and the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail link, which are now under construction in the state, will provide an unprecedented boost to the tourism and hospitality industries.

He also noted that the state will benefit from the ongoing upgrade of the Dehradun airport to an international airport. Winter tourism might be promoted here through adventure sports like skiing, according to State Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj.

He also mentioned that, aside from Char Dham, new religious circuits are being established in the state for a range of experiences.

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