Connecting with Yatris through Interactive Feedback and Social Media Kiosks Along the Route

To promote responsible tourism and maintain real-time communication with travelers, the Jammu and Kashmir Housing and Urban Development Department introduced an innovative digital campaign using two themed setups on the field, the Responsible Yatri Kiosk and the Happy Faces Kiosk. Strategically installed at major base camps and transit hubs managed by municipal corporations and urban local bodies, these interactive stations turned everyday travel photos into an impactful tool for public environmental advocacy. 

At the #ResponsibleYatriKiosk, the focus was entirely on highlighting sustainable travel habits. At these points, pilgrims proudly documented their commitment to a plastic-free journey by taking photos with their reusable steel bottles and personal cloth bags while promising to avoid littering. On the other side, the #HappyFacesKiosk captured the joyful, positive moments of the pilgrimage. At these kiosks, yatris posed with their newly distributed cloth bags and shared enthusiastic feedback about the high quality of the sanitation facilities, the strict single-use plastic ban, the efficient Langar management, and the overall cleanliness of the camps. 

This dual-kiosk strategy recorded a total of 12,600 individual selfie interactions across the territory, with heavy engagement within the Jammu Municipal Corporation (11,230 interactions) and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (1,370 interactions). By instantly uploading these photos to social media networks, pilgrims provided nationwide visibility to the high hygiene standards maintained by the administration. This digital movement not only built widespread public appreciation for the 554 dedicated Safai Mitras working in shifts around the clock but also inspired incoming waves of travelers to keep the local infrastructure clean throughout their