Uttarakhand: Pithoragarh sees tenfold jump in tourist arrivals in three years

Pithoragarh, Jun 28 (PTI) Improved road connectivity and growing interest in the border areas have led to a sharp rise in tourist arrivals in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district over the past three years, with officials attributing the surge to the momentum generated after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adi Kailash in 2023. According to the officials, tourist arrivals in May increased from 11,168 in 2023 to 95,792 in 2025, and further to 1,11,104 in May 2026. “It is all a result of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the Adi Kailash in 2023. Before that, around 2,000 pilgrims used to visit the Adi Kailash,” district tourism officer Kirti Chandra Arya said. Adi Kailash or Chota Kailash is a sacred, 5,945-metre Himalayan peak in Pithoragarh district near the Indo-Tibetan border. According to Arya, the opening of a motorable road to the Vyas Valley border region in 2020 also played a key role in improving access to the Adi Kailash and the other Himalayan destinations in the district. The rise in footfalls has been driven mainly by domestic tourists, with foreign tourist arrivals remaining modest – 78 in 2024, 136 in 2025, and 82 in May 2026. Official figures for May showed that the Adi Kailash and the Om Parvat region in the Dharchula subdivision recorded the highest footfall, attracting 38,728 tourists and pilgrims. The Munsiyari region followed with 24,526 visitors, many of whom travelled to the Khali Top for views of the Himalayan peaks. The other major attractions included the Patal Bhuvaneshwar cave in Berinag, which drew 16,120 visitors, the London Fort in Pithoragarh with 12,597 visitors, and the Mahakali Temple in Gangolihat, which attracted 8,400 tourists. Arya said that tourist arrivals are expected to increase in the coming months, with the Adi Kailash Yatra scheduled to continue till November. PTI COR AKY ARI