Tourist footfall crosses one crore mark in 6 months of 2022
Private investment to the tune of Rs 248 cr also made
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 18: As tourism is one of the core sectors of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, infrastructure developmental projects worth Rs 683.45 crore have been taken up during the last three years. Moreover, private investment to the tune of Rs 248.86 crore has been made in this sector and due to these initiatives a significant hike in the tourist footfall has been witnessed with more than one crore people visiting different destinations during the first six months of the current year.
This was revealed by the Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy in the Lok Sabha today while replying to the question regarding details of investment made in the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir and the impact of the same on the socio-economic life.
“Industrial Policy 2021 of J&K Government recognizes tourism sector as an industry so as to make the investment. Besides the J&K Government has also notified Tourism Policy 2020 which provides for various incentives in tourism sector”, the Minister said.
He further said that J&K Tourism Department has also notified Home Stay Policy/Guidelines 2022 with the aim to achieve de-centralization of benefits of tourism to large number of people to achieve a multiplier effect on the economy and offer several benefits like employment generation, increased sale in traditional craft/skill etc to ensure that the economic benefits reach local people by making more accommodation rooms available and reducing the price-point for tourists.
The Minister informed the Parliament that various infrastructure developmental projects under UT Sector Capex Budget and Centrally Sponsored Schemes PMDP/ PRASAD with a total allocation of Rs 683.45 crore have been taken up during the last three years which has facilitated up-gradation of various pilgrimage sites and works at tourist destinations across the UT of J&K in order to boost the tourism related activities and economy in the UT.
“Since tourism sector is pre dominantly a private driven initiative, many stakeholders have come forward to make investments by way of making new hotel, paying guest houses, lodges, travel agencies, adventure activities, tenting and so on”, he further said while disclosing that private investment to the tune of Rs 248.86 crore has also been made in the tourism sector during the given period.
Stating that tourism sector in J&K is one of the core sectors of economy, the Minister said that as a result of the initiatives taken by the J&K Government in private sector as well as Government sector there has been a significant hike in the tourist foot fall despite COVID challenges.
In the year 2020 the tourist foot fall was 41267 which has increased to 1.05 crore during the first six months (January-June) of the calendar year 2022. The UT of J&K has seen tourist flow in all the seasons during the period and that too high end tourist who have a good experience of quality services. This high influx of tourists has directly and indirectly benefited the local populace including the people living in far flung areas of the UT.
The J&K Tourism Department has also identified 75 off beat destinations as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate 75 years of Independence which has opened the scope of Rural Tourism and is expected to benefit the indigenous groups/stakeholder as the Government is encouraging home stays, tented accommodation along with local cuisine, art and culture which will lead to percolation of benefits from tourism sector to the grass root level and encourage local experiential tourism.
As per the provisions of J&K Tourist Trade Act 1978, the prescribed authority in the Tourism Department registers various hotels, guesthouses and other service providers. An analysis of the registration data provides a preliminary overview of the investment made in different services of tourism sector.
“More than 1500 rooms have been registered in the hospitality sector since 2019 in addition to registration of other service providers and a large number are in process of registration. Besides, number of tourist accommodations which were not in use in view of the COVID restrictions and various other reasons prior to that in the UT of J&K have been renovated/re-modeled/upgraded by making substantial investment in view of the unprecedented highest ever tourist footfall in the last couple of years”, the Union Minister said.
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