Planning a Trip to Mussoorie? New Guidelines from August 1 Make Tourist Registration Mandatory
This move follows a directive issued in May by the National Green Tribunal, which instructed the state administration to closely track tourist inflow.
Due to the increasing tourist numbers in Mussoorie, the authorities have now made it compulsory for both visitors and accommodation operators to register their information on a specialised portal developed by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department at the time of check-in, as per a PTI report.
Addressing the development, District Tourism Officer Brijendra Pandey said the new rule will be implemented starting Wednesday. Under the rule, all hotels, lodges, guest houses, homestays, and similar accommodations must first register themselves on the portal, and then input the information of all incoming tourists at the time of check-in.
This measure aims to manage the problems of over-tourism and traffic congestion in the popular hill destination, which has seen a notable rise in footfall between 2022 and 2024. “This step will help in capturing real-time data on the number of tourists,” said Pandey.
Owners of such establishments have been instructed to strictly follow the new norms. This initiative stems from a May order issued by the National Green Tribunal, which advised the state government to actively monitor the influx of travellers and consistently share statistics from the region.
As per the New Indian Express, registration must be completed on the official website of the tourism department.
How to Register?
For Tourists:
- Travellers are required to complete an online form with details such as name, mobile number, vehicle registration number, accommodation type, and travel schedule.
- Indian nationals will receive a one-time password (OTP) on their mobile phone, while foreign tourists will get the OTP on their email.
- Once verified, a QR code will be issued, which needs to be shown at entry points.
For Accommodation Providers:
- Owners must sign up their properties on the tourism department’s official portal.
- Owner’s name and contact number must be submitted.
- Type of lodging must be specified clearly (e.g., hotel, homestay, guest house).
- Information like property name, number of available rooms, and guest capacity needs to be entered.
- After successful registration, the owner or caretaker should begin recording check-in details of all guests, allowing real-time tracking of tourist activity in the region.
