Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 7: Emphasizing on providing a unique experience to tourists and increasing their footfall, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today passed directions to prepare a comprehensive future plan for promoting tourism sector in J&K, and identifying new, unexplored tourist spots.
While taking a review meeting of Tourism Department at Civil Secretariat, the Lt Governor observed that the UT is bestowed with abundant natural beauty and breathtaking landscapes. He asked the officers of the Tourism Department for developing various tourist circuits across the UT, laying special focus on adventure tourism, trekking activities, pilgrimage sites, water sports and other popular ventures.
He laid thrust on ensuring easy access to the tourists at all tourist places, with proper mobile connectivity, ATM facilities and other utilities for hassle free and memorable experience of the visiting tourists.
The Lt Governor directed the concerned officers to develop state-of-the-art facilities by coordinating with other agencies for full utilization of tourism infrastructure by which the tourists coming for pilgrimage at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and other religious places also visit other important tourist destinations.
Directing for high level of inter-departmental coordination for coherent efforts, the Lt Governor asked the Tourism Department to integrate its efforts with Culture Department while organizing mega Literary, Arts and Sufi festival in J&K. Similarly, coordinate with Forest Department for identifying more trekking routes, he added.
He further directed for proper maintenance of tourism properties so that they remain in impeccable condition throughout the year. “Ensure that forest hutments, tourist accommodations and stays are utilized properly”, said the Lt Governor.
Giving impetus on developing the tourism sector of Jammu region, the Lt Governor directed the Tourism Department to launch special drive to promote Jammu tourism circuit. He further directed for organizing a 3-months long festival in Jammu to popularize various tourist destinations.
Instructions were also passed for developing all the requisite tourism facilities at Mantalai so that the tourists can witness the beauty of this less explored destination.
For developing the tourist places located in remote and far flung areas, the Lt Governor directed the tourism authorities to build tourism infrastructure through convergence mode for the convenience of the visiting tourists.
The Lt Governor enquired about Cruise boat in Dal Lake to be launched soon by JKTDC. He exhorted the officers of Tourism Department to ensure that tourism projects make visible impact and further asked them to construct public utilities and toilet facilities at all tourist places.
A PowerPoint presentation was given by Sh. Sarmad Hafeez, Administrative Secretary, Tourism Department.
Baseer Ahmad Khan, Advisor to the Lt Governor; Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor; Dr G N Itoo, Director Tourism Kashmir; Vivekanand Rai, Director Tourism Jammu; Deepika Kumari Sharma, Executive Director, Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society; Mohammad Akbar Wani, Managing Director, J&K Cable Car Corporation, besides other concerned officers attended the meeting.
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