Jammu and Kashmir up tourism efforts

HAVING received a boost with Germany recently lifting its travel advisory (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 29), Jammu & Kashmir tourism authorities are making a concerted effort to woo tourists back to the once-popular region through infrastructural improvements and destination marketing initiatives.

The northernmost state in India has an annual budget of US$27 million for tourism infrastructure development and marketing. This year, the Indian government has sanctioned an additional US$41.5 million under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme for the development of 59 tourism infrastructural projects in the state.

US$4.9 million of this supplementary budget is being spent on the development of three tourist circuits: Lakhanpur-Basohli-Bani-Sarthal, Bhaderwah-Kishtwar-Sinthan-Srinagar and Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch. Another US$3.4 million is being pumped into 25 villages being developed as rural tourism destinations.

Jammu and Kashmir tourism & culture minister, Nawang Rigzin, told TTG Asia e-daily: “We’re making the best efforts to revive tourism to our region and are not setting any targets yet. We request that the travel trade help promote the state and aid people in getting back their livelihood, which largely depends on tourism.”

He added: “Our roadshows in Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur last month had very good response from the travel trade. They were keen to understand and promote Jammu & Kashmir. We’re also participating at the Geneva festival in Switzerland (August 4 to 14) along with India Tourism.”

Jammu & Kashmir is planning to host fam trips for Western diplomats from the first week of September.

Most of the 23,000 international arrivals to the state last year were from South-east Asia.

By Anand & Madhura Katti

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