In case you need yet another reason to visit the beautiful state of Uttarakhand, the state government’s new policy might be of some use to you. The local government at The Land of The Gods, or Devbhoomi, could soon devise a special policy to boost and promote spiritual eco-zones in the state. By Bayar Jain
In an attempt to boost tourism, the government of Uttarakhand is likely to come up with a special policy in order to promote its spiritual eco-zones. Reports suggest that the state has already identified locations for setting up these zones. Primary locations such as Tehri, Rishikesh, Gangotri, Almora, and Yumunotri are some of these identified spots. Moreover, in the same report, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh is quoted saying, “Uttarakhand is blessed with spiritual diversities and we want to explore this potential for [the] overall development of the state.”
The motive for setting up these spiritual eco-zones is to create an ecosystem for panchakarma, yoga, and Ayurvedic practices. Moreover, with this move, the government aims to capitalise on the global wellness economy, which is growing at a rate of 6.4 per cent every year.
In a bid to speed up this process, the state is also organising a two-day Uttarakhand Wellness Summit 2020 at Dehradun – the state’s capital – in April. Slated to be organised on April 17 and 18, the summit serves a two-fold advantage: one, to promote the state as a wellness destination; and two, to drive investments to these spiritual eco-zones. Investors will be invited to the summit wherein suggestions will be welcomed to further fine tune their policy. Over 200 investors are expected to attend the summit.
Speaking about this summit, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said in a report, “In 2018, when we had organised Destination Uttarakhand, we received an overwhelming response. As many as INR 1.25 lakh crore worth of memorandum of understanding (MoU) were signed then, and nearly INR 21,000 crore worth of investments have already come in. We are expecting a similar response for this summit as well.” He further added that the government has already undertaken various business reforms prescribed by the World Bank and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the ease of doing business initiative. Meanwhile, efforts for improving connectivity in the region are already underway.
Related: 5 Not-So-Popular Places In Uttarakhand For You To Explore This Year