Overtourism in the hills of India

Some urban states, other hill regions have announced plans for sustainable tourism
Deepa Bhasthi, Bengaluru

India’s hill towns have borne the brunt of unplanned development and overtourism in the last two decades, leading to overstressed civic infrastructure, waste, traffic congestion, housing crunch and environmental degradation.

The booming tourism business brought with it more hotels, restaurants, holiday homes, malls, liquor vends, and adventure parks. In most of these towns, there has been little or no regulation for the construction of new buildings, rampant land-use change, and conversion of forests for tourism and infrastructure projects.

“In places like Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, Darjeeling or even lesser-known hill stations like Chikmagalur, Mahabaleshwar, and Coorg, the negative impacts of tourism have reached alarming levels,” says tourism policy analyst A. Arunachalam. “The rate of urbanisation and haphazard growth has overtaken the ability of administrative and civic bodies to handle the stress.” According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, the top 10 hill states in the country accounted for 46% of domestic tourist visits in 2023.

While the economies of these states are heavily dependent on tourism, stakeholders are divided on the way forward. Some believe in putting a limit on the number of visitors, similar to Bhutan’s policy, while others prefer a sustainable development model to balance economic benefits and conservation.

“Tourism is a double-edged sword for these fragile ecosystems. While it brings revenue and jobs, it can lead to the destruction of the very resources that attract tourists in the first place,” explains Suman Bhandari of the Centre for Ecology and Sustainable Tourism.

Some states have taken steps to address these challenges. Sikkim introduced a capping system for tourists in certain districts in 2022. Uttarakhand is working on a Sustainable Tourism Policy which includes green building guidelines, waste management protocols, and regulating constructions and carrying capacity studies for eco-sensitive zones. Himachal Pradesh has shut down certain trekking routes to allow forests to regenerate. Other states such as West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Kerela have announced plans to promote offbeat, lesser-known destinations and homestay models to disperse tourist crowds.

However, experts warn that policy measures must be strictly implemented on the ground. “Policies on paper mean little unless enforced rigorously,” says Bhandari.

At a hamlet in Joshimath town in the hills of Uttarakhand, construction on an unstable hill slope was said to have triggered landslides, damaging homes and infrastructure. Experts say Joshimath is an example of what rapid, unplanned urbanisation, coupled with overtourism, can do to ecologically fragile hills.

Environmental impacts aside, local residents in many hill towns struggle to cope with inflated prices, a paucity of resources such as water, frequent traffic snarls, and even loss of traditional livelihoods. “There are days in summer when there is barely any water, but hotels and resorts always seem to have enough,” says Gopal Pande, a shopkeeper in Nainital.

A report by the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP), supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, notes that over 80% of villages in the Himalayas have reported water scarcity at some point in the past decade.

Tourism-related pollution and waste is another issue. The Swachh Bharat survey by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2023 found that hill tourist towns generate twice as much garbage as non-tourist towns. Waste management systems are unable to keep up, leading to landfill overflows and river pollution.

Meanwhile, vehicular congestion is choking hill roads. According to the Himachal Pradesh Traffic Police, vehicle registrations in hill districts have increased by 60% between 2010 and 2023, adding to parking issues and road accidents.

“Short-term, quick-fix measures won’t solve the problem. We need an integrated approach that involves communities in tourism planning, enforces carrying capacity limits, and encourages eco-friendly mobility and infrastructure,” suggests Arunachalam.

Despite these challenges, the potential for sustainable tourism in the hills is immense. States like Kerala and Sikkim have proved that with careful planning and stakeholder participation, hill destinations can thrive without sacrificing their natural capital. “The hills cannot afford further neglect,” says Bhandari. “It’s time to put conservation at the heart of tourism policy.”

[Photo captions:]
A view of Joshimath town in the hills of Uttarakhand, which has witnessed landslides, with an insert showing the scale of erosion. Experts say Joshimath is an example of what unregulated construction and overtourism can do. At right: Joshimath appears small in the vast expanse of the Himalaya (top), day’s end as outsiders throng the trails, flock to the town, resulting in consequent disruption and risk.

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