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A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri

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 24

A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism

Industry: Tehri Lake
G.P Dang* and Divneet Kaur**

Abstract
Uttarakhand known to be the ‘Land of Gods’ possesses
exquisite beauty and immense potential for the tourism
industry of the State, which is still unexplored at many
levels. The paper seeks to highlight one such destination
of Uttarakhand state (Tehri Lake) and assess the potential
it holds as a tourist destination. Here, the satisfaction
level of the tourists visiting Tehri Lake is also measured to
know how successful this destination is. With the help of a
structured questionnaire based on the lines of the HOLSAT
model developed by Tribe and Snaith in 1998, responses of
the tourists visiting Tehri Lake were measured. The data
was collected in the summer season between the months
of May and June, as the footfall of the tourists increases
during this time of the year. A total of 347 questionnaires
were circulated, out of which 243 questionnaires were fit
for further analysis. The results showed that tourists were
happy with the adventure activities taking place at the Lake,
which included water and aerial sports. On the other hand,
the place lacked the basic amenities like hospitals, local
markets, adequate hotels and restaurants, and local cuisine.
The second objective of assessing the potential of the Tehri

* Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, D.A.V.(PG) College,

Dehradun
** Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, D.A.V.(PG) College, Dehradun
280 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

Lake as a tourist destination was analysed by conducting

SWOT analysis of the destination. The SWOT analysis
mentions the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats
of the Tehri Lake. Despite the environmental threats that this
engineering marvel upholds for the city of Tehri, its delicate
beauty and scope for the tourism industry to flourish is
indispensable. The study focuses to contribute by the means
of findings and also suggest its implications to the public
policy for the welfare of the State.
Keywords: Tehri Lake, Scenic beauty, HOLSAT model,
SWOT analysis.

inTroDucTion
The state of Uttarakhand is donned with magnificent natural
beauty. The beautiful mountains, natural rivers, surreal lakes
and abundance of natural resources makes this state quite like
heaven. Uttarakhand (formerly known as Uttaranchal) became
the 27th state of India on 9th November 2000. Since then, the
State Governments have been constantly putting their efforts in
developing the state and simultaneously preserving its natural
beauty in its original form. Nature in its raw state has been one
of the most contributing features, which has been successful
in attracting nature lovers and adventure seekers in huge
numbers. Tourism has therefore been flourishing in the state of
Uttarakhand and has turned out to be a major contributor in the
GDP of the state.
Uttarakhand is known to be the ‘Land of Gods’ experience
heavy pilgrim tourism, becoming a source of income for the locals.
Besides the heavy footfall of the pilgrim tourists, Uttarakhand
state is still suffering from the problem of migration and lacks
the availability of the required infrastructure to support the
local population. This problem is drawing the attention of the
Government which is leading them to make an effort to look
beyond pilgrims to woo tourists (Hindustan Times, 2018). The
scope of commercial tourism and adventure sports is undeniable
in the state of Uttarakhand. Commercial tourism demands an
immediate push by the Government as the established tourist
destinations like Mussoorie and Nainital, developed during the
British era, have reached their saturation limits. The burden on
the established hill stations require disbursement of tourists.
This can be achieved by developing new tourist destinations in
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 281

the state and promoting the regional ‘Pahadi’ culture. Cultural

tourism can also be capitalized on by bringing the heritage sites,
traditional attires and local cuisines into the limelight in a more
commercial manner (Hindustan Times, 2018).
Through this paper, an attempt is made to bring the focus of
the policy makers and the Government on the untouched Tehri
Lake and the potential that it holds for the tourism industry of
Uttarakhand.

Tehri lake and the potential it holds

The state has constantly strived to develop the state and
bring it to par with the other developed states of the nation. One
of the major development projects carried out in the state was
the construction of the Tehri dam, one of the highest in India,
which was completed in the year 2006. The dam is built on the
river Bhagirathi which resulted in the formation of a reservoir,
used for irrigation, municipal water supply and generation of
1000 megawatts of hydroelectricity. The dam provides power
to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu &
Kashmir, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh.
This gigantic engineering marvel has gifted the state of
Uttarakhand with the surreal lake of Tehri. With a surface area
of 52 Km2 and a depth of 260 meters provided an opportunity to
the Government of Uttarakhand to bring Uttarakhand tourism at
a platform similar to that of European countries. Tehri is a small
town in the lap of lush green mountains where river Bhagirathi
and river Bhilangana meet. The city of Tehri is 316.7 Km from
Delhi and 42Km from Mussoorie, which makes it a more and
easily accessible destination. The Tehri has become one of the
favourites of tourists from far and near because of the calmness
the city possesses.
The Government of Uttarakhand is bringing certain
measures to build this lake into a paradise of water sports.
Many water sports have already been introduced which takes
place at the lake. Some of the popular water sports here are jet
skiing, boating, kayaking, rafting, para sailing etc. Other water
related activities in Tehri Lake include house boats, boating, and
motor boats. The presence of Lake in the lap of the lush green
mountains along with the adventure activities like water sports,
aerial sports, and land sports has become a major attraction for
the tourists.
282 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

holSAT moDel (holiDAy SATiSFAcTion moDel)

This study is based on the HOLSAT (Holiday Satisfaction)
model discovered by Tribe and Snaith (1998) to measure the
holiday satisfaction of the tourists. The model measures the
satisfaction of tourists in relation to a place rather than a specific
service as the tool SERVQUAL, and manages to overcome the
limitations of the latter model. This model addresses the variable
and multi-dimensional nature of consumer satisfaction with a
destination by comparing the performance of a diverse range
of attributes with regards to the destination against customers’
expectation of the same. Through this model, a comparison is
drawn between the tourist expectations before the holiday and
their experiences after the holiday. HOLSAT model measures
satisfaction as the relationship between performance and prior
expectations rather than measuring performance alone as
measured in SERVPERF(Cronin and Taylor,1994).
The model does not take into account a fixed set of attributes
for all destinations but a different set of variables which are
appropriate to the particular destination. The positive attributes
form the favourable impression regarding the destination and
negative attributes form the unfavourable impression regarding
the destination. The positive and negative attributes form the
constructs in the questionnaire. The mean scores of each variable
in the given construct is calculated for both expectations and
experiences. The difference between the two is then determined,
which provides us with the gap scores for each variable.
Experience – Expectations = Positive Gap Score
Expectations – Experience = Negative Gap Score
The difference between the expectation and the experience
scores for each variable gives a quantitative measure of the level
of satisfaction shown by the tourists.

liTerATure revieW
Uttarakhand Government (2018) – As per the 2018 policy
of Uttarakhand on Tourism, the analysis of Strength, Weakness,
Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) of Tourism of Uttarakhand
has been laid down. According to the policy, the strengths of
Uttarakhand laid down are the presence of natural beauty i.e.
Himalayan Range, dense forests and the climatic conditions
form the core to attract tourists across the world. Uttarakhand
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 283

serves the need of every kind of tourists by offering adventure

activities such as water sports and trekking and the presence of
Char Dham and many other pilgrimage places. Further, the lack
of proper traffic management, public transport, medical facilities,
and limited developed tourists destinations are some of the
weakness of the state in terms of tourism. There is a huge scope
for the employment of the local people through local tourism.
Availability of more adventure activities is an opportunity for
tourism as it serves as a great potential for the nearby markets
of the State to grow and become self- sustainable. Some of the
threats for tourism are lack of proper roads, a huge inflow of
tourists during peak seasons, unorganised Char Dham Yatra and
traffic jams.
India Today (2018) – According to the article titled “
Seaplane Services to be introduced on Uttarakhand’s Tehri
Lake to boost Tourism”, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has
stated that to attract more tourists and to make Tehri Lake one
of the tourists destination, a seaplane service will be started soon
at the Lake. Currently, water sports are being conducted at the
Lake. The seaplane services will not only serve as a tool to attract
more tourists but is also helping in emergency situations such as
landslides. The increased quantum of the water sports activities
will help to create employment for the youth of the region,
solving the problem of migration to some extent.
The Pioneer (2018) – The article titled “ Cabinet holds
meeting at Tehri Lake” stated that the government of
Uttarakhand has taken a decision to give tourism an industry
status. The tourism activities will be qualified for the facilities as
are provided to the industries. This shall be helpful to promote
tourism in Uttarakhand and will offer employment opportunities
in the State. The services provided in the form of water sports,
yoga, Ayurveda, etc shall be included in MSME. The tourism
sector getting the status of MSME shall get benefits in the form
of free electricity power for five years, 40% capital investment in
plant and machinery by the government and many more.
Pant (2011) – The research paper titled “ Uttarakhand
Tourism: A Swot Analysis” lays emphasis that Uttarakhand
being bestowed with immense natural beauty serves as a
potential for tourism in the State. The study is focused to analyse
the viewpoints and satisfaction of the tourists and to develop
measures for the development of tourism in Uttarakhand.
284 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

According to the study, the scenic beauty of Uttarakhand is

not encashed due to lack of various facilities such as hotels,
transportation, food, clean drinking water, etc. As per the study,
it was found that they were satisfied with the scenic beauty
and the relaxing environment. The respondents also stated
that they will visit again given the natural beauty of the state
and if the facilities lacking currently are developed. Further, if
infrastructure facilities are developed and new destinations are
explored in Uttarakhand ,then Uttarakhand can grow to become
one of the best tourist destinations in the world.
Lather, Singh, & Singh (2010) – The study ‘Comparing the
levels of expectation and satisfaction of Indian and Foreign
Adventure Tourists visiting India’ was undertaken to know
the gap between the expectation and experience of Indian and
Foreign Adventure Tourists and the inter-relationship between
them. The study was conducted on 300 tourists out of which 150
were Indian tourists and 150 were Foreign tourists. The statistical
tools such as Exploratory Factor Analysis, HOLSAT Model and
t-test were used. A total of 6 factors out of 28 variables were
derived through exploratory factor analysis. HOLSAT Model
was used to know the expectations and experiences scores of the
tourists. Further t-test was used for analysis of data and testing of
hypotheses. It was found out that the expectations of the tourists
were higher in comparison to their experiences. Further, it was
found out that the level of satisfaction of the Indian tourists
was higher than the level of satisfaction of the Foreign tourists.
There was a positive correlation between the expectation and the
experiences. It had been suggested that true information about
the place should be provided so that the expectation is closer
to the reality, thus leading to greater satisfaction amongst the
tourists.
Truong & Foster (2005) in their research paper titled ‘ Using
HOLSAT to evaluate tourist satisfaction at destinations: The
case of Australian holidaymakers in Vietnam’ explains the use
and understanding of the HOLSAT model for the present study.
A comparison is made between tourists travelling as holiday
package tour group and as free and independent travelers,
which brings market segmentation into the study making it
more specific. Further, paired t-test is applied for comparison of
pairs for each variable to find out whether there was a significant
difference between expectations and experiences of the tourists.
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 285

Excel spreadsheets were used to develop the plots of both positive

and negative scores of attributes on separate matrices. By plotting
expectation scores on Y-Axis and experiences score on X-Axis,
win or loss segments were developed on each matrix. The paper
also brings out the implication of the study with regards to both
the theoretical model of HOLSAT and the marketing aspect.
Both the theoretical and marketing implications of this study are
kept as the base for the present study.

objecTiveS
• To measure the satisfaction level of tourists visiting
Tehri Lake.
• To assess the potential of Tehri Lake as a tourist
destination.
• To suggest measures for providing better experiences to
the tourists.

hypoTheSiS
HO1= There is no significant difference between the
expected level of satisfaction and the actual level of satisfaction
of tourists visiting Tehri Lake.

reSeArch meThoDology
The research was conducted to know and assess the
satisfaction level of tourists visiting Tehri Lake and also to
examine the potential that the Tehri Lake holds for the tourism
industry of the State.

Questionnaire Design
The questionnaire was designed keeping in mind the
objectives of the study i.e; to measure the satisfaction level of
tourists visiting Tehri Lake. The questionnaire was formulated on
the HOLSAT model, which requires tailoring of the questionnaire
with regards to area specific variables. The questionnaire was
framed after conducting a pilot survey on 68 respondents,
which gave us more clarity on the variables to be included.
Certain questions were re-framed for better understanding of
the questionnaire by the respondents. To further improve the
questionnaire, face validity of the same was tested by running
286 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

the questionnaire through experts. The experts included

professors and senior researchers. The area specific variables
were taken from both primary as well as secondary sources.
The tourists visiting Tehri Lake and the locals of the Tehri city
formed part of the primary sources while secondary sources
included newspapers, research papers, articles, blogs, websites
on Uttarakhand tourism and Government tourism reports.
The questionnaire is divided into two parts that include
positive and negative attributes. A total of 11 variables were
included in positive attributes and a total of 9 variables were
included in the negative attributes. The questionnaire is based on
five point Likert Scale. The respondents were asked to rate both
the negative as well as the positive attributes on a scale of one
(1) to five (5). Later, positive attributes were coded as ‘Strongly
agree-5’ and ‘Strongly disagree-1’ and reverse coding was done
for the negative attributes as ‘Strongly agree-1’ and ‘Strongly
disagree-5’ by the authors.
For the purpose of knowing both, the expectations and
experiences, two sets of questionnaires were prepared for each
respondent.

DaTa ColleCTion
The process of data collection started after conducting
the pilot survey and formulation of the questionnaire on the
HOLSAT model. The data was collected in the months of
May and June 2018. This period was selected as the footfall
of the tourists increase in the summer season, to experience
the pleasant weather of the hills and its serene beauty. The
questionnaire framed was a structured questionnaire involving
a total of 20 questions. The data was collected through the
survey method i.e; by directly contacting the respondents. The
questionnaire was circulated among 347 tourists, out of which
243 questionnaires were regarded as fit for further analysis. To
increase the response rate, the respondents were asked to fill the
questionnaire for both expectations and experience after their
trip got over. This method of data collection was implemented as
the tourists found it cumbersome and time consuming to fill the
questionnaires twice i.e; to fill expectation questionnaire before
their tour started and to fill the experience questionnaire after
their trip ended.
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 287

SAmple proFile
For conducting this research, tourists visiting Tehri Lake
were taken as the respondents. The data was collected in the
months of May and June. This time period was selected as the
footfall of the tourist increases to relive themselves from the heat.
Summer vacations at this time of the year again prompt tourists
to visit with their families to the hilly areas of the Uttarakhand
state. The attraction of water sports in the summer season also
becomes one of the major attractions for the tourists. Nearness of
Tehri city to the Dehradun and Mussoorie also gives an incentive
to the tourists to visit the ancient town of Tehri and witness the
engineering marvel of Tehri Dam.
A total of 243 tourists visiting Tehri Lake were taken for the
purpose of the research. Table 1 below shows the sample profile.
Table 1: Sample Profile of the Tourists

Tourists From Number of Percentage of

Tourists Tourists
Within Country 121 49.79%
(excluding within state)

Within State 101 41.56%

Foreign 21 8.65%
Total 243 100%

The above table shows the number of tourists from within

the country (excluding the tourists from the state of Uttarakahnd),
tourists visiting Tehri Lake from the State of Uttarakhand and
the foreign tourists. There were large number of tourists visiting
Tehri Lake from outside the state of Uttarakahnd, especially
from northern states of the country like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab, and Rajasthan.

DATA AnAlySiS AnD reSulTS

Objective 1: Measuring the satisfaction level of tourists visiting
Tehri Lake
The first objective was fulfilled by measuring the experiences
and expectations of the tourists and also calculating gap scores
for each variable. The gap scores indicated whether the tourists
288 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

had a positive experience or not. The negative scores indicate

the dissatisfaction of the tourists with that variable. Table 2
shows the mean scores and standard deviation of experiences
and expectations of the tourists. Gap scores are also shown
simultaneously in the table for making the comparison between
scores of experiences and expectations easily.
Table 2: Analysis of Tourists Visiting Tehri Lake
S. Statements Expectation Experiences Gap Paired t-test
No. Score
Mean Std. Mean Std. t-value sig
Dev Dev.
Positive Attributes
1 The climate is 4.1358 0.756 4.8807 0.337 0.7449 15.366 0.000
pleasant.
2 The local transport 4.1070 0.758 2.8107 0.875 -1.2963 17.183 0.000
is easily available.
3 It is safe while 3.3827 0.503 4.1152 0.768 0.7325 12.636 0.000
travelling.
4 There are adequate 3.9177 0.656 4.0041 0.795 0.0864 1.390 0.166
safety and security
facilities at the Lake.
5 There is availability 3.7860 0.639 3.9630 0.799 0.177 2.751 0.006
of sign boards to
reach the Lake.
6 The roads are in 3.9095 0.655 4.1934 0.686 0.2839 4.804 0.000
good condition.
7 There is availability 4.2346 0.726 4.6173 0.511 0.3827 8.096 0.000
of clean drinking
water.
8 There are water 4.3086 0.697 4.5226 0.618 0.214 4.170 0.000
sports and events at
the Lake
9 There are well 4.1523 0.742 2.9547 0.932 -1.1976 14.887 0.000
developed markets
around the Lake
10 The place has relaxed 4.2634 0.713 4.8107 0.402 0.5473 11.632 0.000
atmosphere.
11 There is scenic 4.2881 0.703 4.8601 0.359 0.572 11.917 0.000
beauty.
Negative Attributes
12 The place is 3.6049 0.596 4.3704 0.717 0.7655 13.624 0.000
crowded.
13 There are 4.2922 0.704 2.1111 0.727 -2.1811 33.185 0.000
inadequate hotels
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 289

S. Statements Expectation Experiences Gap Paired t-test

No. Score
Mean Std. Mean Std. t-value sig
Dev Dev.
14 There are traffic jams 3.4362 0.609 3.8807 0.875 0.4445 8.920 0.000
on the way.
15 There is litter around 4.1399 0.763 3.9053 0.784 -0.2346 4.814 0.000
the place.
16 There is lack of 4.2305 0.747 2.5597 0.567 -1.6708 29.420 0.000
availability of
quality food
17 There are no proper 3.6914 0.655 2.2798 0.730 -1.4116 21.194 0.000
medical facilities.
18 There is lack of 4.2058 0.748 3.7572 0.906 -0.4486 6.797 0.000
availability of mobile
network.
19 There is lack of 4.1852 0.756 2.1605 0.751 -2.0247 30.227 0.000
proper development
around Tehri Lake.
20 It is difficult to reach 3.9424 0.689 4.2551 0.668 0.3127 6.975 0.000
Tehri Lake.

The table above manages to highlight some of the variables

which added to the dissatisfaction of the tourists visiting
Tehri Lake. The geographical location of the Tehri city makes
it difficult to maintain proper and luxury travelling facilities.
Unavailability of local transport, therefore, became an issue of
concern for the tourists. Tourists visiting from plain areas who
were uncomfortable driving in hilly areas found lack of local
transport to reach Tehri difficult.
Another major disappointment which the tourists
experienced was the absence of developed markets around the
Lake. Many tourists from far and near come to visit the ancient
city of Tehri to experience the traditional culture of Garhwal and
Uttarakhand. This lead to a negative score of 1.19 of this variable.
Major inconvenience faced by the tourists visiting Tehri was
the lack of adequate hotels and quality food available in the city.
For this reason, the tourists visiting Tehri, to enjoy the beauty of
the Lake restricted themselves to day time only. Proper hotels
are situated far from the city, which contributed to the negative
experience of the tourists. Food quality also made it unpleasant
for the tourists who wished to extend their stay in the town.
290 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

Another concern was the availability of proper medical

facilities in Tehri. The medical facility becomes an indispensable
part for the development and welfare of the city. Families
visiting with old members and small children found it difficult
to continue their vacation in Tehri city. This also affected the
footfall at Tehri Lake, due to concerns relating to the health
of children entering the water. Tourists were also concerned
about the lack of infrastructure and development of the town,
especially around Tehri Lake.

objective 2: To Assess the potential of Tehri lake as a tourist

Destination
The second objective of the study is to assess the potential
of Tehri Lake as a tourist destination. To achieve this objective
SWOT analysis was conducted to know the strengths, weakness,
opportunities, and threats of Tehri Lake that lay before the state
of Uttarakhand. This man made engineering marvel provides
twin benefits for the Government of Uttarakhand. The Tehri
Dam is used for hydro-power generation and is a potential
treasure for the tourism industry of Uttarakhand. SWOT analysis
will provide an overall insight of the Tehri Lake, highlighting
both the positive (strengths and opportunities) and negative
(weaknesses and threats) aspects of the destinations.

Strenghts Weaknesses

The large surface area of the Lake Unexploited commercial potential

provides a streaming space for of Tehri Lake in relation to water
water sports and other activities sports and other water activities.
like boating and floating houses. Inadequate promotion of the
The route from Mussoorie to Tehri Lake has resulted in less
Tehri Lake has a lot in store footfall of the tourists than it
for the tourists. Many famous should be. Only few people visit
places to visit on the way from Tehri Lake as less is known about
Mussoorie to Tehri are Dhanaulti, it to the public.
Surkanda Mata temple, Kanatal, Inadequate infrastructure to
and Chamba. support the tourists visiting Tehri
Natural beauty, exquisite climate Lake. Lack of adequate hotels
and clean air of the Tehri city is and eating places have led to the
a source of attraction for nature coming of only day visitors.
lovers, bird watchers, and
adventure seekers.
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 291

Opportunities Threats
Vast area around the Lake can One of the biggest threats to
be transformed into a local Tehri Lake is the threat from
market exhibiting local tradition earthquakes. The Tehri dam lies
and culture. This becomes an in the Central Himalayan Seismic
opportunity for the Government Gap, a major geological fault
to propagate Pahadi culture with zone. Though Tehri dam is built
the help of Tehri Lake. which can sustain an earthquake
There is a huge opportunity for of 8.4 magnitude but Geologist
the Government and private contest that earthquakes of higher
sector businesses to capitalise magnitude can occur in this area,
on the development of the though the chances are remote.
infrastructure, making Tehri city
at par with other established and
developed tourist destinations of
Uttarakhand.
The 260m deep Lake possesses an
incoherent capability of adventure
sport like scuba diving. The sight
of the submerged city of old Tehri
becomes an opportunity to attract
adventure seekers.
The vast expanse of the Lake is
also capable of aerial sports like
paragliding, hot air balloon etc.

The above assessment highlights the strengths and the

untapped opportunities that the Tehri Lake possesses for the
tourism industry of Uttarakhand.
The study highlights the positives and the negatives that
Tehri Lake has in store for the tourism industry of Uttarakhand.
The natural beauty that the engineering marvel Tehri Lake brings
to the entire city of Tehri is unquestionable. People from far and
near flung to the town to witness this man-made wonder and
enjoy the adventure sports organized by the state authorities at
the Lake. This Lake has the capacity to attract and accommodate
the needs of tourists seeking both adventure, natural beauty,
and serenity. The relaxed atmosphere of the place urges people
living in plain areas of the country to come and visit this place.
The beauty that exists here in its natural form along with the
development of basic infrastructure in the town could lead this
place to become one of the most sought to destinations of the
292 // Revisiting Economy: Missing Links & Alternative Vision

country. There is an urgent need to build the basic infrastructure

and provide the basic amenities like medical facilities, adequate
number of hotels or guest rooms, restaurants and eateries, and
proper and developed markets. Infusion of these basic amenities
and infrastructure in the city of Tehri will lead to employment
generation, capital influx and also help to build resilient local
communities in Tehri and places around it.

implicATion oF The reSeArch

implication for public policy
The study shows the satisfaction of tourists visiting Tehri
Lake, situated in Tehri city of Uttarakhand. The research
conducted manages to provide the policy makers the site-
specific attributes that the Tehri Lake holds with the tourists.
These attributes were discovered due to the pliant feature of
the HOLSAT model, which has been used in the study. The
research includes a comparative study of the experiences
and the expectations of the tourists, which was indicated by
the application of paired t-tests. The gap scores managed to
highlight the differences between what the tourists expected and
what they actually experienced during their visit at the Lake.
The scores punched above provides us with the attributes that
scored huge gap scores. These attributes were mostly related
to the developmental issues, such as inadequate infrastructure
and development of the city. Lack of medical facilities, hotels
and guest rooms, quality food and eateries and local markets
contributed to the dissatisfaction of the tourists. The research
provides the insights as to how objective specific implementation
of policy is required at the state level to bring out Tehri Lake as
one of the famous tourist destination in and outside the country.
The exquisite natural beauty of the place makes it a God’s gift
to the land of Uttarakhand which the tourism industry needs to
capitalize on. Deliberate infusion of these facilities will lead to
employment generation and capital influx in the Tehri region.
The building of basic infrastructure by implementing sustainable
measures will become key to success for the people living in that
area. Construction of cottages and small guest rooms instead of
big hotels serving local homemade cuisine will be well cherished
by the tourists visiting Tehri Lake. Development of local
markets exhibiting locally grown vegetables, pulses, flowers,
 A Boon for Uttarakhand Tourism Industry: Tehri Lake // 293

herbs and handmade traditional clothing and jewellery can also

add to building the economy of that area. Acute problem of
migration from the hilly areas of the state can also be addressed
to some extend by commercial promotion of Tehri Lake as a
tourist destination. The present efforts of the state Government
show their vision of grooming Tehri Lake as a famous tourist
destination, but the inclusion of area specific attributes will add
to the effectiveness of the policy implementation. These measures
will help build a resilient work force which will further contribute
towards building a self-sustainable economy of the State.

reFerenceS
Cronin, J., & Taylor, S. (1994). SERVPERF versus SERVQUAL:
Reconciling performance- based and perception- minus-
expectations measurement of service quality. Journal of Marketing,
58, 125-131.
e Uttaranchal. (2019, January 11). Water Sports in Tehri Dam Reservoir.
Tehri, Uttarakhand: e Uttaranchal. Retrieved from [Link]
[Link]/tourism/[Link]
Hindustan Times. (2018). Special tourist buses in Uttarakhand to
promote Pahadi culture tourism. e- Uttaranchal.
Hindustan Times. (2018, September 8). Uttarakhand looks beyond
Pilgrims to Woo Tourists. Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Retrieved
from [Link]
uttarakhand-looks-beyond-pilgrims-to-woo-tourists/story-
[Link]
India Today. (2018, May 29). Seaplane Operations to Begin at Tehri
Lake. India Today. Retrieved from [Link]
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