Uttarakhand Tourism Development Master Plan Executive Summary 2.1. Overall SWOT Analysis for Uttarakhand An overall SWOT analysis has been carried out to synthesise the key issues associ planning in Uttarakhand. Exceptionally Invigorating geographical features (0.9 and towns set amidst outstanding scenic beauty (e.g. lof mighty Himalayas comparing favourably with other Himalayan destinations (2.9, of world-wide significance (ger, leopard, bear etc) 2 Selection of word significance (c and Bindar National Parks) = Variety of Himalayan range, gtéalér and lesser Himalayas and\Bhabar bet) {Successful conservation roguatons curbing encroachment of development ito natural areas; : and in some cases unique to attract a vated clentla; = Commited ‘associations, particulary inthe hill sector. + Substantial funds allocated to annual marketing campaigns by the public sector in 2006 and 2007; = Sites of significant cultural, historic and archaeological value; = Places of religious and) ‘significance, aligned with geographical features (CHF DRAMCIEUIN) SOUS) - Well established! for both domestic and the international market. Weaknesses ~ Many natural areas reflect man-made influences; > ‘Amest a urban environments aro Brau intr Gf GierallappEATaRESpollttontwaste management, heath’safety, urban design/congestion and do ite justice to natural environment = Little to} (major scenic landmarks, flora, fauna etc) in many natural areas and (e.g. at information centres and lodgings); Lite to no awareness of potental and needs of eco and nature tourism among many operators and Govemment agoncis: = Stet and other developments, notably also the establishment of facies tht would help to protect the environment such as refuse collection and dispose 5 in many popular tourist spots such a5 a) in development of tourer fects es exemplified at man 1 Lack of eoordinaton among Government agencies: > Lack of eflent public transportation: = Lack of rafie management in towne and vilages | Glektesmmaniyandarstanai| and paricipaion in tourism in many areas; Low environmental awareness among overall population, domestic tourists, resort owners and developers; ‘With the exception of domestic market ~The name change from Uitaranchal to Uttarakhand fiaS resulted in a loss of previously bult up awareness: about the State, especialy diluting the impact of national and intemational media campaigns caried out 2006 - this willbe expensive to address; = Branding adopted by the State is inadequate — the logo is not recognizable as representing Uttarakhand the {ag line with Ks religious connotation Is geared towards the domestic market and is oo close to hat of Himachal Pradesh; ~ (Competition from other State, in particular Himaehal PF2dESH and toa lesser extent Kashmir and the North- easter Slates weak awareness of tourism opportunities that can be enjoyed by the ‘April 2008 12Uttarakhand Tourism Development Master Plan Executive Summary ‘Other Himalayan countries or areas are batier Known in the Intemational market such as Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet in China; Lack ofa marketing svategy for the State (Sean cpocoscn ‘oRRAARSERRIEERE inexpensive pudications; Mismatch between the perception of quality and comfort implied in the advertising and the realty of the facilities and services generally available, with the exception ofa few locations Lack of coordination and dialogue between the different branches of the public sector involved in tourism promotion (he Tourism Depatment nd is assoited operational arms, ne GMVN ord the KMN as wet as the Forest Department and the International Food and Agriculture Development Organisation both promoting ecotourism and the Ministry of Culture) and the private sector in terms of collaboration in the marketing effort The! in accommodation provision, tour operation and other Unfair competitive practice through the use public money to maintain and build public sector accommodation and other tourist facilis; _Morepoy eyed byte puble sector in the advertising of is accommodation ae other senioesin cate ne scetea eer \Naprosonco of tho private soctorin th collateral mall dstrbutedby the Toursm Department either through advertising or sponsorshi {o understand the profile of Visitors, thelr perceptions, demands and satisfaction levels; ‘Weak Marketing Section in the Tourism Department comprising just 3 parttime staff including one of the Joint- Directors; ‘Te distct tours offcs lack manpower, ‘The new) CATPTARARRTION } ave stractod only very few young people to run them most are unused; Excessive travel ime despite close proximity of towns and atractions due to SHBSandaraOd to Delhi (schedule, roling stock, travel speed); due to brown-outs and biack-outs; notably intemet connections restricts hotels and guest houses from accepting credit cards and from establishing a state of the art reservation system. Opportunities Very large, overall carrying capacity given the immensity of the natural environment; Huge potential for nature tourism (notably ecotourism and adventure tourism) with opportunities for bird watching, nature tours, rafting, trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking: Potential to tap the vast emerging markets in ecotourism, responsible tourism and specialist niche markets such as trekking and bird watching worldwide Vast opportunities fo such as rafting Potentially large domestic market offers specific niche opportunities for ecotourism; Pharmacopoeia of forests and traditional skills in well-being (e.g. yoga) provide opportunity for health and wellness; Increasing intemational market, based on expatriate workers in Delhi and other major cities; ‘Some private sector experience in running quality tourism accommodation: RolaWaly ete nial population afersoppovtunies for lca ani and patkpaion nut, wih embryonic initiatives having already taken place iat tier, sc e1 as emer an eg” esmechaniey femes nien aees ef ie eset isyas Intemational renown of Ganges as a holy river and Himalayas as a natural attraction; Increasing spending power and leisure aspirations of domestic market favours accessible tourist hotspots such as Nainital ‘offer a sold basis for developing quality resorts; Planned development of domestic airports will boost week-end market from Delhi and other cities as well as facilitate longer-haul high spending markets, Towns such as Bageshwar and Nainital should hence benefit; Cluster of higher education facilites in Dehradun offers opportunities for advanced environmental centre combining research, education and general conservation/ecatourism awareness among students and visitors; Self-contained nature of valleys and limited accessibilty should be conducive to create environmental management plans that encompass conservation, agriculture, tourism and village social development; ‘April 2008 13Uttarakhand Tourism Development Master Plan Executive Summary 7 Caitural distinctiveness in dress, folklore and local products can promote vilage development wall presented, interpreted and subject to sensitive commercialization (e.g, at Dharchula); - Alean and efficient market research unit can be established by engaging persons with high professional knowledge. - marketing strategy can be formulated which wil allocate resources and responsibiltis in a well designed and precisely scheduled plan to ensure that appropriate tourists are targeted and encouraged to visit the State; = As the location of the source of the Ganges, Uttarakhand can build a unique identity which will differentiate it from competing destinations; appropriate brands can be adopted and widely disseminated; ~The intemational market can be made aware through well thought out campaigns that a uniquely beautiful section of the Himalayas is located in Uttarakhand: - Domestic tourists can be made aware of the range of opportunities that can be enjoyed in the State; ~ Facilities and services can be upgraded to an appropriate level for the targeted markets + Public institutions and the private sector can coordinate their marketing efforts and work in partnership; = GMVN and KMVN corporations can reassess their role in developing and supporting the tourism sector in the State and can provide services to the sector at their premises (ie. tourist centres, interpretation centres for the area; training centres, reservation centres etc...) rather than compete by offering accommodation in areas where the private sector is well established, = Great potential for mountaineering and high-altitude trekking out of towns that can be reached by road (Gangoti, Munsiyar, Threats = Continued (e.g. food preparation) will atonal key markets of potential hgh spencing nlematonal curate - Contnced ATT ond cppiceton of ATT wit fai to capture important nature based tourism; - OverideVelopmiéht at certain scenic or religious spots (e.a{Nainitallahd GARGBHH) wil breach local carrying capacities, - in forest areas will hold back ecotourism development, + Lack of effective management plans will alienate local population from conservation initiatives and continue to hamper co-ordination between key Government agencies - Success of wide reserves vil increase eons betwee Gia S SCs (el Hanis IaoperGS) anid IGEAD (Glaats es pressures on habiots increase, - ‘datone! iii I Sea RANA wl detract rom amenity and lead to serous congestion in trone and lagen, on vol as Perens safety hazards fo silagers ring congsde cura Fea - Cones TAR src on zopect suchas Bt continue to amage ne envionment and aris ts image: icons aecornmodelin aretha oust developments at sensiive ses wi threaten attractiveness of existing small scale tourist attractions (such as planned dormitories at the entrance to Jageshwar); = Poorly conceived development and low awareness of landscape design wil bight scenic areas = Continued poor maintanance of rads wil make accessbilty a key constraint far Improving qualty and numbers of ours (litle to no participation of lal people infos wil lead to alienation, exploitation andor social inequalties and continued neglect ofthe environment among vilagers = Gateway towns will continue tobe uninspinng as promoters tothe wider natural areas and will be by passed by tourists; .wil continue to opt for other destinations if improvements in @UBNNBRKSUEBE) wil continue to shrink glaciers and impaithe natural wonderment ofthe high Himalayas, whist causing eroased feeding and mbalances in ecosystoms further downeteam; = (alibi of rugsiadiack of pacing about his issue in certain areas ofthe State may attract undesirable Visitors; = Continued competion and provision of RFs faites bye) pUBIE Selo os weil a lack oF GUali) “offered by the private sector wil associate Utaraknand with down market tourism; . wil resutin high expenditure with ite retum on investment; {Tack of coordination between diferent public sector bodies as well as the private sector wil resut in wasted eff, duplication of actives, mixed, inconsistent and possibly contradictory messages thus confusing and staring sll vats ~Imphing high ualiytacis in the advorisng massage without dalvring the amonitsane sori wi have a negative effect on the image of the State; = Establishment and/or upgrading of airports and helipads without improving access roads to these facilites will reduce their desired effect on enhancing access, ‘April 2008 14