The coronavirus pandemic has halted the holiday plans of so many people and looks like they will be on hold for a while. The tourism industry in the country is gravely affected with the pandemic. But what if we told you might earn if you visit Uttarakhand now? The State government has introduced a new scheme to attract tourists. Called the 'Tourist Incentive Coupons' it will give great discounts everyday for your stay anywhere in the state. Right now in the pilot stage it will be tried for a month. This incentive based scheme is employed by European countries very commonly to attract more visitors. In this article, we tell what exactly it means and how you can avail the benefits. Happy Himalaya Diwas 2020: Beautiful Pictures of the Himalayan Mountain Ranges Which Show Why These Stunning Landscapes Need to be Conserved.

What Does Tourist Incentive Coupon Scheme Mean?

The Tourist Incentive Coupon Scheme will provide a visitor with a compensation of either INR 1000 or a 25% rebate per day in their accommodation. But for that, you need to do at least a three-day booking at any hotel or homestay here. The areas where it will be applicable are yet to be decided. The areas of Uttarakhand will be amended as per discretion by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. Tourists visiting the Devbhoomi for Chardhaam Yatra can avail the benefits as well. To avail it, every tourist will first have to register themselves under the Dehradun Smart City portal. Once you have successfully done it, you will get a discount of Rs 1000 per day. So although you do not literally get paid to visit, but money saved is money earned, remember?

The scheme will be implemented very soon after the areas are finalized. It will be tried for a month and it might be extended for another couple of months garnering the results. As per reports, the overall expenditure of it will around Rs 2.7 crore which will be compensated from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The scheme aims to promote the idea of homestays and thus the "vocal for local" initiative. Uttarakhand Govt Allows Devotees to Offer Water at Sanctum Sanctorum of Shri Chandreshwar Mahadev Temple in Rishikesh.

So on one hand, where you'd expect the cost of travel to go up owing to the losses in the last few months, this scheme is giving you discounts. It might be a good time to start planning your holiday to the mountains after all? But ensure all the social distancing and safety protocols are taken care of.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2020 02:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).