Carrying capacity and strategic planning for sustainable tourism practices in the Char Dham from the Western Himalaya, India

Development of sustainable tourism in the environmentally sensitive mountain regions is a challenging issue that deals with economical, natural, and cultural benefits along with preservation of social-ecological system. Today, the Indian Himalayan Region is experiencing reasonable growth in the pilgrimage tourism sector that necessitates an assessment of carrying capacity and sustainable practices. The present study evaluates the eco-tourism potential and sustainable tourism initiatives in the Char Dham (four shrines) in Uttarakhand state, where tourist numbers have grown from 1 million annually in the early 2000s to over 3 million recently, with a record 5 million visitors in 2023. The research employs multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) including geoscientific, bioscientific, socioeconomic, and cultural-historical analyses with 21 sub-indicators. Key findings of the work revealed the tourist carrying capacity of the areas with sustainable daily limits of 15,778 for Badrinath, 13,111 for Kedarnath, 8178 for Gangotri, and 6160 for Yamunotri Dham. Further, correlation analysis between other sub indicators revealed significant positive relationships between natural geosites, economic indicators (MPCE: r = 0.987, p = 0.013; monthly income: r = 1, p < 0.0001), and tourist influx (r = 0.823, p = 0.177), particularly in the areas with high temple concentrations (r = 0.636, p = 0.36). The site suitability assessment results showed varying degree of ecotourism development potential across the study sites. The work provides a comprehensive framework aiming at sustainable tourism harmonizing with local economies and surrounding environment. Recommendations of the work are associated with decentralised, community driven, and eco-friendly tourism strategies aligned with the UN SDGs.