Boosting tourism

Coalition Government is laying stress on the development of tourist industry in the state on larger scale. The Chief Minister believes that state tourism has to play vital role in boosting the economy of the State. Tourism industry, when developed, will provide employment to a fairly good number of educated unemployed in the State. We also believe that State tourism has vast potential to become an important source of strengthening the economy of the State. However, the question is harnessing that potential adequately and making it commercially viable.
One important reason of downslide of this industry in last two decades was the surfacing of armed insurgency in the state, which escalated with the passage of time. Tourists from within the country or from foreign countries would not visit Kashmir unless their visits were secured from all sides and they were confident that no physical harm would come to them during their visit. Terrorism and subversive activities proved to be the biggest reason for most of the prospective tourists to cancel their tour to Kashmir. However, now the conditions have considerably changed in Kashmir thanks to the sacrifices and efforts made by the security forces in meeting the terrorist threat. Famous tourist destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Aharbal, etc. or hiking and boating all have become safer in comparison to what obtained a decade ago. This has encouraged the Government to focus on development, expansion and streamlining of tourism as one of the important sources of strengthening our economy.
In its maiden meeting in Pahalgam under the chair of the Chief Minister, the State Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), a slew of suggestions were made by the participants of what measures should be taken to give proper fillip to tourist industry in the State. Many healthy and viable suggestions emerged in the meeting and the TAB took decision to implement the recommendations that have been approved through consensus of opinion. The role of the TAB in promoting tourist industry and taking it to higher levels of performance was duly recognized. Tourism is closely linked with hospitality. The first and foremost thing that a tourist expects in the host country is that of showing him due courtesy and treating him or her as a valued visitor who should develop the impulse of re-visiting Kashmir and her tourist destinations as many times as would be possible for him. This is called ‘high-end clientele satisfaction’. Kashmir tourism is closely linked to other activities like handicrafts, heritage tourism, pilgrimage tourism and adventure tourism. All these aspects have to be made important component of Kashmir tourist industry. The link between tourism, hospitality and heritage is inevitable if we want tourist industry to grow according to our expectations. Advisory Board has very rightly suggested that tourist department should engage top Public Relations agencies at New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Ahmedabad to counter negative publicity, which seriously hampers tourist footfall in the State. The meeting also highlighted the need to enhance web presence of the tourism sector, in particular on social media sites like the Face book and Twitter. What it precisely means is selling Kashmir tourism with renewed effort now that the security aspect has been managed satisfactorily.
Kashmir has the advantage of summer as well as winter tourism. Skiing, trekking, aquatics, mountaineering, bird watching, regatta and so many other activities, which in fact are related to tourism, are possible in Kashmir. For naturalists Kashmir is a treasure trove. For pilgrim tourism, Mata Vaishno Devi shrine has come on national pilgrim tourist destination with over one crore pilgrim tourists visiting the shrine annually.
The Chief Minister has assured that Jammu tourist destinations would be developed and proper allocations will be made so that Jammu also comes strongly on the tourist map of the country. There are many beautiful natural sites in Jammu region, particularly like Patni Top, Sanasar and Mansar Lakes, Kishtwar and Bhadarwah hill sites and Buda Amarnath in Mandi, Poonch, which would be developed in a befitting manner and made as tourist spots. This all augurs well for the tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. We hope that the TAB will become very effective in giving a new shape to the tourist department. It has taken the right decision of sending its team to other states for on spot study of the status of Tourist Departments there, and then suggests which format would be more suitable for J&K State. These are all positive steps and we expect good results from them.

Follow our WhatsApp channel