Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 27: The Chamber of Tourism Trade and Industry Katra (CTTIK), represented by its president Raj Kumar Padha and secretary Atul Sharma, presented a comprehensive representation to Mugda Sinha, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in the presence of Yasha Mudgal, Secretary Tourism J&K, and Vikas Gupta, Director Tourism Jammu, on the sidelines of a brain storming session and workshop for the promotion of tourism held at IIM Jammu.
The representation highlighted the pressing challenges faced in promoting Jammu as a top-tier tourism destination and proposed strategic solutions to overcome these hurdles. One of the major challenges discussed was the acute shortage of skilled tourism professionals, which affects tourism planning, marketing effectiveness and visitor experience management. The lack of trained personnel in destination management, tourism marketing, and hospitality services has resulted in weak policy formulation and an unstructured approach to tourism development.
Additionally, the delegation pointed out that key government roles related to tourism are often managed by general administrators instead of tourism specialists, leading to ineffective tourism planning and implementation. Poor coordination among government bodies, tourism stakeholders, and private investors further exacerbates the issue, preventing long-term investment and sustainable growth in the sector.
Another significant concern raised was the ineffective promotion and branding of Jammu as a tourist destination. The absence of professionals in digital marketing, event planning, and international tourism outreach has led to inconsistent branding and low visibility on the global tourism map. The region also faces a shortage of certified tour guides, adventure tourism experts, and heritage interpreters, which negatively impacts the visitor experience.
The hospitality sector is struggling due to a lack of well-trained professionals to ensure high standards of customer service. The representatives also addressed the lack of stakeholder and community engagement in tourism-related activities. Local communities are not fully integrated into the tourism economy due to insufficient training programs for home stay owners, transport operators, and tour guides.
Raj Kumar Padha proposed several strategic measures, including the recruitment of tourism professionals in key government roles and the establishment of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to bring in corporate expertise and industry best practices. Strengthening training and capacity-building initiatives was emphasized, with a recommendation to set up tourism skill development centers in Jammu, Katra, and Patnitop, along with certification courses for adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and cultural tourism guides.
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