In view of the increasing number of tourists in Uttarakhand, the government is now focusing on the development and expansion of tourism facilities. In this, emphasis is being laid on increasing the active participation of the local community in tourism activities along with providing proportionate benefits to them. Financial incentives have also been envisaged for this, which is now going to fructify through the Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme implemented for the permanent residents of the state. Now small tourism related enterprises including home stay will take shape rapidly in the tourism sector in the state. A provision of grants ranging from Rs 33 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore has been made on these projects ranging from one to five crores. Tourism policy is in force in the state with the aim of giving priority to the development of world-class infrastructure facilities and capital investment in view of tourism. Under this, the minimum limit of investment has been kept at Rs 5 crore to attract high class hospitality projects.
The intention of the government is that through this, maximum investment from the country and abroad should be drawn to the state. Small and medium local investors and businessmen were not able to take advantage of this policy. Although Veer Chandrasingh Garhwali Tourism Self-Employment Scheme is running to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship, but only projects up to a maximum of one crore can be taken in it. In view of all this, the Dhami cabinet decided to start Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme to promote investment of one to five crores in the tourism sector for permanent resident entrepreneurs of the state. Now the government has issued a notification to implement it. Also, the state has been divided into three categories for financial incentives in the scheme. Apart from this, activities have also been identified. It is expected that this will create more employment and self-employment opportunities for the permanent residents of the state.
Categorization of areas in the scheme
Category-A: – Entire area of Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts, areas of Dehradun district which are not included in category B and Ranikhet and Almora tehsils of Almora district.
Category-B:- Remaining area of Almora district (which is not included in category-I), Kalsi, Chakrata and Tyuni tehsils of Dehradun district, Garud tehsil of Bageshwar district, Kotdwar, Lansdowne, Yamkeshwar and Dhumakot tehsils of Pauri, Dhanaulti and Narendranagar tehsils of Tehri district.
Category-C:- Entire area of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Champawat, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh districts, remaining area of Bageshwar, Pauri and Tehri districts, which is not included in category-B.
Financial incentives in these activities
Works related to maintenance of cultural and historical heritage, parking at tourist places, ropeways, expansion of existing hotels and resorts, floatels and floating resorts, heritage hotels and units, hotels and motels, spas and health resorts, tourist resorts and tourist villages, cruise boats, boats, houseboats and boat clubs, eco lounges and residential tents, non-fuel road facilities on national and state highways, conference centers, tourism or hospitality training centers, yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy resorts, art galleries, entertainment parks etc.
These concessions will be available
Exemption from stamp duty on projects worth one to five crores.
Grant of 33 lakhs to 80 lakhs in category-A area.
Grant amount will be 33 lakhs to 1.20 crores in category-B.
Grant of 33 lakhs to 1.50 crores in category-C.
Interest subsidy of 3 to 6 percent per unit for three years under the scheme.
Local people will take interest in homestays
People will now take more interest in homestays in the state. 5468 homestays have been registered since 2015-16. It is believed that after the Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme, the construction of homestays will increase rapidly and this will also help in reverse migration.
