To address the recurring issue of traffic congestion and overcrowding in the popular hill station of Mussoorie, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) has launched a tourist registration portal. From now on, tourists will be required to register before arriving in Mussoorie. This step is in accordance with the directives issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and aims to streamline visitor data for better crowd and traffic management.
The registration process officially began on a trial basis on July 30 and 31. According to Dehradun’s District Tourism Officer Brijendra Pandey, the UTDB has entrusted the implementation of this initiative to a third-party organization named GETHICS. The process involves mandatory tourist registration at the time of check-in at hotels, guest houses, or homestays. The daily data will then be uploaded to the tourism department’s portal.
Before they can upload tourist data, hotels and accommodation providers must first register their establishments on the portal by providing essential details such as the name, type of property, number of rooms, and overall guest capacity. Only then will they be allowed to input tourist registration data.
President of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, Sanjay Agarwal, confirmed that the association has directed all member hoteliers to comply with the new guidelines. However, he also mentioned that some hoteliers have expressed dissatisfaction with the newly introduced process.
The live registration data will assist the local administration and police in effectively monitoring crowd density and regulating vehicular traffic. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have also been installed at all entry points into Mussoorie, along with the establishment of check posts.
Mussoorie welcomes more than 2 million tourists annually, with numbers peaking during the summer and festive seasons. The town’s limited parking infrastructure often leads to massive traffic snarls, especially during peak times. The new registration system is expected to ease this pressure and improve the overall tourist experience.
