Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 6: Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, convened an interactive session with Travel & Tourism Operators and Hotel Associations at the Jammu Tawi Golf Course.The session, chaired by Commissioner Secretary Tourism, Yasha Mudgal, focused on collaborative efforts to further enhance Jammu’s tourism potential.
Mudgal highlighted the recent surge in tourist arrivals, crediting the success to joint initiatives by stakeholders and the department. She acknowledged the Government’s commitment to promoting Jammu & Kashmir’s picturesque locations. She emphasized the department’s focus on developing state-of-the-art infrastructure and holistic development to boost the region’s appeal.
The session facilitated open dialogue, with representatives raising issues such as discrepancies in Trade Rules, organizing local FAM tours for Amarnath pilgrims, promoting Jammu’s destinations, simplifying Registration Rules, increasing night stays of tourists, diverting pilgrims at Katra to nearby tourist spots like Patnitop, Sanasar, and Bhaderwah, developing public convenience and other facilities at tourist destinations, implementing the PRASAD scheme, developing a ropeway gondola at Shiv Khori and organizing road shows in major tourist destinations. Other concerns included overcharging by local suppliers, development of parks, subsidies for tourist transportation, staffing tourism offices-PAN India, establishing a dedicated Tourism Board and upgrading tourist services.
She welcomed stakeholders’ suggestions and emphasized that 90 percent of their concerns are already being worked upon by the department.She elicited the keen interest of the Government in streamlining the Trade Rules for easy of business, department’s focus on creating infrastructure, developing the Ambaran and Akhnoor circuits, and the integrated development of Bhaderwah, Sanasar, Patnitop, and Mantalai. Plans include establishing a mall road in Bhaderwah, enhancing road connectivity, building capacity, and addressing existing gaps to accommodate more visitors. Additionally, she mentioned the development of projects through public-private partnerships( PPP) mode like the Patnitop ropeways (Skyview by Empyrean).
She urged stakeholders to showcase the publicity literature and photos/videos of the destinations created by the department in their business units for tourists. She also mentioned that the department is in the process of creating an event calendar and encouraged stakeholders to disseminate it to tourists nationwide to help them plan their visits accordingly.
Sunaina Sharma, Joint Director Tourism, provided valuable insights into the department’s ongoing efforts.
The session also saw the participation of Manav Gupta,Secretary Jammu Tawi Golf Course; Savita Chouhan, Deputy Director Tourism, Jammu; Showkat Hayat Mattoo, Deputy Director Tourism, Jammu and Ambika Bali, Assistant Director Tourism Katra.
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