Mussoorie Rourist Registration: Going to Mussoorie? Register first; Uttarakhand sets rule to curb crowd, ease traffic | Dehradun News

MUSSOORIE: Tourists travelling to Mussoorie will now be required to register their details on a portal developed by the Uttarakhand tourism department. The registration will be done by hotels, guest houses, and homestays at the time of check-in. The move, aimed at tackling overcrowding and managing traffic after tourist footfall nearly doubled between 2022 and 2024, became operational on Wednesday.“Registration of guests will provide data on tourist arrivals in the town,” district tourism officer Brijendra Pandey said.Establishments will first have to register their facility on the portal by providing details such as the name of the owner, phone number, type of accommodation (hotel, homestay, or other), name of the property, number of rooms, and total capacity. Subsequently, they will register the guests.Sanjay Aggarwal, president of the Mussoorie Hotels Association, said, “As per the directions of the tourism department, we have requested our fellow hoteliers to comply with the new rules.”However, some hotel owners have opposed the move, calling it a “hindrance”. “This will make it difficult for those in the tourism industry, especially during peak seasons,” said a hotel owner on condition of anonymity.The decision follows a directive from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on May 8, which ordered the state govt to begin tourist registration in the hill station within two months and submit data on arrivals regularly. “Registration of tourists should be done according to the carrying capacity of the area, especially the availability of parking space, guest rooms, etc.,” the NGT had stated. It had given the responsibility for implementing the registration process to the tourism department and the Mussoorie Municipal Council (MMC).The green court had taken suo motu cognisance and raised concerns over Mussoorie’s carrying capacity, and directed the state to submit a status report following land subsidence in Joshimath. Officials said over 21 lakh tourists visited Mussoorie in 2024, up from 11 lakh in 2022. The rise in tourist numbers lead to frequent traffic jams, especially from Gandhi Chowk to Mall Road. In June, a tourist from Delhi died after getting stuck in congestion and failing to reach medical care in time.