Kamal Ghorui
The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), in collaboration with the Department of Skill Development, on Thursday held a stakeholder consultation on “Skilling for Char Dham Yatra 2026”.The meeting was inaugurated by cabinet minister Saurabh Bahuguna and attended by tourism secretary Dhiraj Singh Garbyal, skill development secretary C Ravishankar, additional tourism secretary Abhishek Rohilla, and additional secretary Narendra Singh Bhandari, along with officials and stakeholders. A 12-part “Skill Samvad Series” was also launched. It focused on workforce readiness and local livelihood participation in the pilgrimage sector.The discussions were divided into two panels. The first panel focused on frontline Yatra workers such as guides, porters, drivers, and hospitality staff. It recommended setting minimum competency standards for all roles ahead of the Yatra season. It also suggested short, modular training programmes in local languages for seasonal workers, along with certification and ID-based recognition systems.Training areas discussed included first aid, high-altitude safety, weather awareness, and crowd management. Officials noted that standardisation of skills could improve pilgrim safety and provide formal recognition to workers engaged in Yatra services.The second panel focused on local communities and entrepreneurs, including homestays, vendors, artisans, and self-help groups. It discussed “Yatra-ready” homestay standards while retaining local cultural identity. Other suggestions included strengthening food safety and hygiene, waste management, and supporting local products through branding and GI tagging.Linking skill development with credit access, digital payments, and market linkages was also suggested to improve local participation in the tourism economy. Minister for skill development & employment Saurabh Bahuguna said, “Char Dham Yatra is not only a spiritual journey but also a vital livelihood ecosystem for thousands of people. Our focus must be on ensuring that skilling leads to employment, dignity, and long-term sustainability, while building systems that continue to deliver quality services consistently”.
