Planning a trip to Mussoorie? No entry without online check-in first

Travellers heading to Mussoorie will now need to be registered online before they can check in, under a new directive rolled out by the Uttarakhand tourism department from Wednesday, The Times of India (TOI) has reported.

The mandatory guest registration will be handled by hotels, guest houses, and homestays via a dedicated state portal.

The measure comes in response to a sharp surge in footfall — from 11 lakh in 2022 to over 21 lakh in 2024— sparking concerns over traffic snarls and unchecked crowding.


“Registration of guests will provide data on tourist arrivals in the town,” TOI quoted the district tourism officer Brijendra Pandey as saying, highlighting the system’s role in monitoring the flow of visitors.

Accommodation providers will first have to enroll their properties by submitting ownership details, contact information, property type, number of rooms, and capacity. After this step, they will be required to log guest details at check-in.

Industry associations are aligning with the plan, as per the TOI report. “As per the directions of the tourism department, we have requested our fellow hoteliers to comply with the new rules,” said Sanjay Aggarwal, president of the Mussoorie Hotels Association.

However, not everyone in the hospitality sector is convinced. A local hotelier, speaking anonymously to TOI, called the process “a hindrance,” adding, “This will make it difficult for those in the tourism industry, especially during peak seasons.”

The new protocol follows a May 8 directive by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which asked the state to start recording tourist numbers within two months. The NGT emphasized, “Registration of tourists should be done according to the carrying capacity of the area, especially the availability of parking space, guest rooms, etc.”

The tribunal had raised environmental concerns after land subsidence incidents in Joshimath and tasked the tourism department along with the Mussoorie Municipal Council (MMC) to ensure compliance.

One of the triggers for the directive was a tragic incident in June, when a tourist from Delhi died after being stuck in a traffic jam and unable to reach medical help in time.

The registration rule is expected to help local authorities manage pressure points — particularly along the busy Gandhi Chowk-Mall Road stretch — and offer real-time data for better civic planning.

(With inputs from TOI)