All out efforts are being made to refresh the traditional bonds and woo tourists from Kolkata, Mumbai, Gujarat, Chennai and other places to revive their footfall in Jammu and Kashmir during the coming summers for which an aggressive countrywide campaign has been launched. This will be the first summer tourist season here after J&K losing its special status and becoming a Union Territory (UT).

West Bengal was among the few states from where tourist groups used to come to Kashmir in bulk particularly during the summers and the Durga Puja holidays. However, this connect was snapped 30 years ago when terrorism struck J&K and tourists kept away from here. Foreign tourism was also badly hit as USA, UK and other countries issued advisories against visit to Jammu and Kashmir. This has badly affected economy of the valley. However, foreign tourists have been thronging the cold desert region of Ladakh that remained peaceful.

The tourism department has organised road-shows in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh and various other places in a bid to revive tourism in the UT.

This is perhaps for the first time that the picturesque tourist destinations of the Jammu division are also being promoted in other states. This was not done by the previous Kashmir-centric governments in the state.

The tourism department recently held a road-show in Kolkata to woo tourists and adventure enthusiasts to visit and explore the Himalayan region—assuring them safety and warm welcome. Tourism opportunities are being networked with travel agents of other states.

While appreciating the travel fraternity from the Eastern region for their continued promotion in travel packages, the tourism department observed that Kolkata has remained one of the major markets wherefrom large number of travelers visited J&K.

The government has assured tourists that Kashmir is safe for tourism activities and hundreds of tourists are already enjoying their holidays at prime resorts like Gulmarg, Srinagar and Pahalgam.

The department has already organized several road shows across the country including some of the prominent cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Bhubaneswar among others. The officials said that more promotional campaigns are scheduled in other cities.

The tourism department also promoted in Bengaluru their product by offering various packages to the visitors and encouraged them to visit J&K which is peaceful and safe for the visiting tourists as is evident from the tourist footfall.

The tourism department last week showcased its famed destinations to the major stakeholders of tourism sector at the ongoing India International Tourism Exhibition (IITE) at Vijayawada. The chief executive officer of Jammu’s Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, Nagendra Singh Jamwal, led the tourism team.

They engaged the tour operators of Andhra Pradesh to offer upcoming Tulip bloom and Shri Amarnath Yatra to the tourists. Several adventure tour operators also evinced interest in adventure activities and requested for grant of exclusive rights for a fixed period in the virgin destinations of the region.

Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Zubair Ahmad, reviewed the status of projects being executed across various tourist circuits in Kashmir division sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) and CAPEX Budget. He also reviewed the status regarding outsourcing of assets of Directorate of Tourism Kashmir, SKICC and various Tourism Development Authorities.

Prior to the upcoming tourist season, the tourist facilities were being upgraded by taking care of facilitation centers, tourist reception centers, gender based toilets, installation of bio-digesters, solid waste management, parking, pathways and food courts, landscaping, installation of lighting, construction of the jetties, facilities at Mughal gardens and at pilgrim sites, macadamization of approach roads to offbeat destinations etc.

The Tulip Garden on the banks of the Dal Lake is being made more attractive for tourists by planting 13 lakh tulips this season against 12 lakh of last year. Secretary Floriculture, Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad reviewed the preparations for opening of Tulip Garden in the summer capital.