Tourism provides the answer
Kashmir is once again figuring on the tourism map as visitors from all over the country are making a beeline to the place. The situation is such that all hotels, guest houses and even paid accommodations are filled to capacity and bookings are very hard to be availed.
The record breaking arrival of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir is reflection of successful packaging of tourism destinations in a perfect manner and that tooin a shortest possible time.
The significant increase in tourist arrival upsurge in the picturesque famous destination of the country is possible due to highlighting of diverse range of attractions- a concept launched by the tourism department and the administration.
The administration is also focusing on exploring the full potential of pilgrimage tourism by developing various religious tourist circuits across the union territory besides the J&K Tourist Village Network initiative to transform 75 villages in Jammu and Kashmir known for historical, scenic beauty, and cultural significance.
The initiatives not only are aimed to empower youth and women through direct and indirect employment opportunities but the youth-led sustainable tourism initiative aims to strengthen the sparsely populated economy and public entrepreneurship.
According to an official, these 75 offbeat locations will provide adventure seekers, trekkers, and international visitors with an experience of nature’s wilderness while also creating a livelihood in the villages in the forest environment through home-stays, nature guides, trek operators, food stalls and forest souvenirs.
It is quite encouraging that more than 80 lakh tourists have visited the UT in the past few months alone, breaking all the records of past 20 years. Even the flight operations too have broken all previous records as around a 100 flights operate from the Srinagar airport on daily basis.
These flights are filled to capacity and people are finding it hard to book tickets if they have not planned their booking much earlier. The increased footfall has even encouraged the government which has put I its nit by enhancing funding for tourism promotion and revival.
A liberal funding of a record budget allocation of Rs 786 crores which is Rs. 509 crores more than the previous budgetary allocation has been kept for tourism department which includes improving the tourist industry infrastructure and related services across Jammu and Kashmir.
The UT administration has also taken several steps to ensure that air traffic to the Jammu and Srinagar airports grows unhindered in the future so that trade and tourism flourishes alongwith the main economic activity of tourist arrivals.
Tourism holds immense potential in Jammu and Kashmir as various aspects of tourism can be identified and put into practice that will make the activity an all the year round affair. This simply means that tourism can restructure the entire framework of the UT’s economy which heavily relies on tourism and its allied activities.
KV Network
