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From world view of tourism as contributor to sustainable development, it is time that tourism industry in our state explores new dimensions of its activity. United Nations World Tourism Organization has declared 27 September as the World Tourism Day, and it is celebrated annually with various programmes in different parts of the world. This year it was dedicated as International Year of Sustainable Energy and Tourism. Consequently, our State with tourism as one of its major industries needs to ensure its growth in a manner that is compatible with the vision and programmes of UN World Tourism Organization. Developed countries have lifted tourism to the level of a source of economic and ecological sustainability. Visionary input made in the industry has helped make it dimensional. This factor is yet to be inducted into the State tourism enterprise.
While talking of tourist industry in our country in general terms, we should be realists to admit that we have yet to travel long distance to reach the level of efficiency and productivity achieved by developed countries. Over-population, heavy pressure on natural resources, gradual ecological degradation, unabated deforestation and lack of awareness are some of the hurdles we have to cope with. Unless these debilitating factors are adequately addressed and removed, we cannot have big expectations from tourist industry. This is precisely true of Jammu and Kashmir State.
Talking of things nearer home, it is not enough to feel contented with the thought that we have very attractive natural setting for our State. Stately mountains, green pastures, roaring waterfalls, meadows and verdure are the gifts of nature to our State, but certainly we are not exceptional to the bountiful nature. There are other countries and regions richer in these gifts. The question is not how much bountiful nature do we possess. The question is how much is our — meaning human — contribution towards improving, promoting and preserving these gifts of nature and what efforts have we made in bringing physical, environmental and spiritual equilibrium through their instrumentality. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: have we really facilitated communion between the tourist and the nature within the environs of our part of the globe?
Our State Tourism Department shall have to come out of a spell of inertia and status quo. Stereotypes are not working any more and new modalities have to be looked for. Tourism is a highly skilled industry as it is dealing with animate and dynamic stuff called human beings. With the passage of time, human beings adapt to new thinking and new ways and modes of life. Contemporary times are drastically different from olden days because the life style has changed to a large extent. Style of living and moving and behaving has changed. This change has to be incorporated into such services as deal with the human stuff. Tourism cannot and should not remain the monopoly of an antiquated system but should become a national asset accessible to wide section of society. Tourists coming to Kashmir should not carry back the only impression that they had the fantasia of spending a couple of nights in a house boat or making transaction with a curio dealer. The lasting impression which they need to carry is about the people, the very common people with whom they interacted even if only briefly and the land as they came to know in historic perspective. One tourist should prompt ten more to follow in his footprints. That is what we may call successful tourism. In western and developed countries, most of the tourists are housed in private houses that are registered with the Government and provide quality service to the guests.
One important point, very often brought home to the authorities taking care of State tourism, is that of balanced development of tourism in all the three regions of the State. The entire State, being a hilly region, is gifted with many scenic sites in all the three regions. Diversification of tourist spots means bringing the people of those spots — generally backward – into limelight by providing space to them for interaction with wider and variegated humanity. According to UN statistics, nearly one billion tourists have moved during the current year. Our share should be much higher than what it is. That should be the target of our tourist industry. Development of tourism means development of infrastructure, connectivity, supply services and many more things. Developing new spots of tourism in Jammu and Ladakh regions, for which they have the capacity but remain unnoticed, will rejuvenate the industry and forge better integrative atmosphere among the people. For example the newly built Mughal Road and Bhaderwah-Chamba link can provide many exciting tourist spots once these are properly developed. The State Department of Tourism should not remain content with what it has, but should strive to be inquisitive, explorative and innovative.
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