Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, June 7: Government today revealed that it had spent more than Rs.42 lakh on promotional tours of various officials and Ministers to countries like Dubai, Turkey Moscow and Australia and admitted that devastating floods of 2014 ‘washed it off ‘ thereby did not brought the desired results.
In a written reply to a question of MLA Altaf Ahamd Wani in Lower House, Minister Incharge for Tourism stated that an amount of Rs.4, 203,445 was spent on tickets, travel insurance Visa fees, DA and other miscellaneous charges for tours of various officials to different international events.
The Minister said that Rs. 9, 29,708 was incurred for Dubai Travel Meet, 2014 where officials like Zaffar Ahmad Bhat (then Secretary Tourism) and Talat Parvez(then Director Tourism) went and Rs. 11,37,534 was spent on EMITT Turkey/ Jordan 2014 tour for Ministers and officials like Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo (then MoS Tourism), Tufail Ahmad Matoo ( Managing Director, JKCCC) and Mohammad Hussain Mir ( Joint Director tourism).
“Rs. 19, 09,438 was incurred for MIIT, Moscow, 2014 where G. A Mir (Minister for Tourism), Talat Parvez (Director Tourism), Soujanya Kumar ( Director Tourism, Jammu), Shamim Ahmad (Managing Director, JKTDC)went to promote tourism and Rs. 2,26,769 were spent for Ski Festival held in Australia in 7-8 Nov, 2015 where Shabir Ahmad Wani ( Incharge Winter Sports, Gulmarg) and Bilal Ahmad (Tourist Officer, Pahalgam) went,” the Minister stated.
An expenditure of Rs. 14, 75,000 was incurred on account of air tickets for participation in national events, the Minister said, adding that an expenditure of Rs. 312.98 lakh has been incurred for advertisements in print and electronic media for the promotion of tourism since 2015 till date.
“The advertisements have been made in local / national/ international magazines. News papers, Television commercials in local and national television channels, Radio spots etc. for wide publicity of tourism in the State,” the Minister stated. Approximately an amount of Rs. 12, 66, 469 has been incurred on inauguration function of Pahalgam Club, after fulfilment of required procedures, said the Minister.
The Minister further stated that Tourism Department has put in its efforts to explore the offbeat tourist destinations in the State and to explore new tourist destinations from tourism point of view in phased manner as a part of development.
“Besides, the Tourist Department has adopted the strategy for promotion of tourism in the State by way of organising festivals, tourist travel marts, road shows, printing of brochures etc. Wide publicity is given through print and electronic media to attract both foreign as well as domestic tourists to the Valley,” the Minister stated.
The Minister informed that some of the new destinations proposed to be brought on the tourist map of the State are: Wadwan/ Sinthan, Mazmmoh, Dooru, Apple town Chinewooder Bijbehara, Dudhal Pahalgam, Sgrunz Tangmarg, Mantalai Jammu, Bani Basohli, Ranjeet Sagar Dam, Nori Chamb Poonch, Seven lakes Rajouri, Burzahama Hazratbal, Fossil Park Khanmoh, Paragliding at Harwan and Tosa Maidan Budgam.
In his supplementary, the MLA Altaf Ahmad asked Government that despite a huge expenditure on tours of officials to foreign lands and advertisements what were the reasons behind the drop in flow of tourists during 2014- 2015. The Minister, in his reply, said: “Due to the devastating floods of 2014 the inflow of tourists decreased but from August 2015 footfalls has increased.”
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