Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 26: As part of the ongoing Jammu Festival, Tourism Department today organized a Heritage Walk from Amar Mahal to Mubarak Mandi involving students and staff drawn from various schools of the city.
The Heritage Walk was flagged off by the Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Amar Mahal.
Over 1000 students and Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) volunteers participated in the Heritage Walk.
Speaking on the occasion, the Tourism Minister underscored the importance of the ancient sites of Jammu and highlighted the efforts being made by the Government to showcase the city as leisure and heritage tourists’ destination. He said that through such festivals, Jammu would world over gain recognition as a heritage tourist destination which mainly attract high-end tourists and boost local economy.
He also appreciated the cooperation extended by the local administration and the Education Department in organizing the Heritage Walk to make the young generation aware about the richness of the Dogra heritage. He asked the students to become the ambassadors to disseminate the information about historical importance of these places wherever they go.
The Minister said that with the increase in tourist influx, J&K was fast recapturing its position as the most liked tourism destination among the Indian States. He said tourism has contributed immensely towards the growth of the State, adding that multiple beneficial aspects of domestic and international tourism have special relevance to the socio-economic development of the State.
Director Tourism, Jammu, Sujanya Kumar Sharma highlighted the tourism activities being carried out in Jammu division for showcasing the potential places of the region in and outside the country. He said several cultural activities were being organized during the festival days besides efforts are on to captivate Mata Vashino Devi pilgrims to visit scenic and adventure spots of the division.