Uttarakhand to survey ‘tourist carrying capacity’ in Nainital, Kainchi Dham, Bhowali

The survey, to be carried out for the first time, aims to formulate long-term strategy to protect popular hill towns from growing strain of unregulated tourism, mounting vehicular traffic

Haldwani: The Uttarakhand government will carry out a ‘tourist carrying capacity’ survey of three tourist destinations in Nainital district — Nainital city, Kainchi Dham, and Bhowali — to assess the infrastructure and help determine the maximum number of tourists and vehicles these places can sustainably accommodate.

According to tourism department data, over 7,500 four-wheelers enter Nainital city daily during the peak tourist season. (ANI / Representative photo)

The survey, which will be carried out for the first time, aims to formulate a long-term strategy to protect these popular hill towns from the growing strain of unregulated tourism, mounting vehicular traffic, and population pressure, an official said.

“Uttarakhand tourism development board (UTDB) has been entrusted with carrying out the survey, which will assess the infrastructure limits of these towns and help determine the maximum number of tourists and vehicles they can sustainably accommodate,” Nainital district tourism development officer Atul Bhandari said.

According to tourism department data, over 7,500 four-wheelers enter Nainital city daily during the peak tourist season. With an average of four tourists per vehicle, this translates to a daily footfall of around 30,000 tourists. “The overwhelming number of visitors has prompted local authorities to implement weekend traffic regulations, including a system to halt unbooked tourist vehicles at the Russi Bypass,” the official said.

Nainital faces an acute shortage of parking facilities. Official data show that the town has seven designated parking lots with a total capacity of just 1,070 vehicles. Additionally, 320 hotels and homestays are registered with the tourism department in Nainital, but only 92 of them offer parking space, collectively accommodating around 1,330 vehicles. “The mismatch between the number of incoming vehicles and available parking has further underscored the need for a detailed carrying capacity analysis,” the official said.

Vehicles are being parked at the bypass area, and tourists are transported into the city via shuttle services to reduce congestion, the official added.

Kainchi Dham, a popular pilgrimage site, has seen a sharp increase in the number of devotees, creating heavy traffic congestion in Bhowali, the main transit town on the route. “In view of the increasing pressure on Bhowali and Kainchi Dham, the carrying capacity survey will be extended to these areas as well. CCTV cameras are being installed at key locations to monitor and count the number of vehicles,” said Bhandari.

Bhandari said the survey would be conducted during both peak and off-peak seasons to develop a comprehensive understanding of tourist flow patterns. “Based on the survey findings, the government is expected to consider implementing a tourist registration system to better regulate inflows and plan infrastructure upgrades accordingly,” he added.

“This is a crucial step toward preparing a sustainable development roadmap for Nainital, Kainchi Dham, and Bhowali. The objective is to ensure that tourism continues to thrive without compromising the ecological and infrastructural integrity of these fragile hill towns,” Bhandari said.