Culinary Professional Perceptions in Developing Culinary Competencies to Promote Gastronomic Tourism in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is divided into two broad regions-Garhwal and Kumaon. The state is comprised of 13 districts, namely, Chamoli, Pauri, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Haridwar and Rudraprayag in the Garhwal region while Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat and Bageshwar falls in the Kumaon region. Of these 13 districts, four districts (Nainital, Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar) have large areas in the plains, whereas the other nine districts comprise the hill region of the state. The positive features of these hill districts are that they have enormous potential for tourism, a suitable climate for high-value agriculture, and a pleasant environment due to 60 percent forest cover. These have to be harnessed for a development strategy.