Responsible Advertising for Climate Change Tourism in North India: Strategies, Ethics, and Pathways for the Himalayas
Author(s): Ravikant Chahar
Publication #: 2609031
Date of Publication: 27.09.2026
Country: India
Pages: 1-5
Published In: Volume 12 Issue 5 September-2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62970/IJIRCT.v12.i5.2609031
Abstract
North India’s Himalayan states—Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir—are among the region’s most visibly affected by climate change. Rapid glacial retreat, declining and erratic snowfall, rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting seasons are transforming the landscapes that form the backbone of the region’s tourism economy. Simultaneously, these changes are generating new forms of climate-linked travel, including last-chance visits to melting glaciers, climate-education treks, and “coolcation” escapes from the polluted and overheated Indo-Gangetic plains.
This paper examines the role of advertising in promoting climate change tourism across North India. It analyses how destination marketing organisations (DMOs), tour operators, and brands can deploy responsible advertising to raise awareness, support local livelihoods and conservation, and encourage lower-impact travel behaviours. Drawing on regional examples from glacier sites (Gangotri, Thajiwas/Sonamarg, high-altitude Ladakh routes), hill stations, and pilgrimage circuits, the paper outlines practical advertising strategies while highlighting the serious risks of greenwashing, overtourism, and the ethical dilemmas of marketing disappearing ice. When designed with scientific accuracy, community consent, and carbon awareness, advertising can help shift North Indian tourism toward a more regenerative and climate-resilient model.
Keywords: Climate change tourism; North India; Himalayan tourism; last-chance tourism; glacier tourism; sustainable advertising; Himachal Pradesh; Uttarakhand; Ladakh; Kashmir; responsible destination marketing; carrying capacity
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