Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 3: Winding up his extensive tourism promotional campaign, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today called upon the leading tour and travel operators of the country to infuse their professional skills in designing attractive packages for domestic and overseas travelers to the state.
Inviting suggestions from leading tour operators, Mufti Sayeed said the Government is primarily focusing on tourism as it has the potential to provide instant relief to the people affected by floods, most of whom are predominantly dependent on it for their livelihood. “Increase in tourist traffic will resuscitate our economy, which has taken a battering in the aftermath of the floods of last year,” he added.
The Chief Minister was speaking during his interaction with the doyens and country heads of tour and travel associations in the union capital today.
Favouring outsourcing of major tourism infrastructure, Mufti Sayeed said the assets have to become income-generating units so that enough money is channeled back for development of the sector. “The Government will soon promote the majestic Hari Niwas as an elite wedding destination in the summer capital,” he said, while asking the Tourism Department to also focus on high-spending tourists visiting the State.
Elaborating upon the several measures taken by the Government to showcase J&K as a wholesome tourist destination, the Chief Minister said better connectivity, proper handholding at airports and railway stations, prepaid taxis and sale of branded, original and price-tagged handicraft products would be provided to the incoming visitors.
On dovetailing of handicrafts segment with tourism industry, the Chief Minister said he has already passed orders for developing Kashmir Haat as a round-the-year Crafts Centre for showcasing and selling of genuine and branded hand-made products.
Describing Kashmir as a chiselled statue of nature, the Chief Minister highlighted the need for improving road and rail connectivity to the State so that it becomes easily accessible. “We need to take a cue from China which has taken bullet trains even up to the hostile terrain of Lhasa,” he added.
Replying to a specific query by one of the tour operators about the frequent closure of roads that leads to huge financial losses, Mufti Sayeed said the Government will operate Mughal Road as an alternate National Highway, which is also a delightful ride to the Kashmir Valley. “The Mughal Road has been opened for vehicular traffic,” he said.
Describing Kashmir as an all-season tourist destination, Mufti Sayeed said hoteliers from Kashmir have offered 40 percent discount for travelers in July-October, which is considered off-season in Kashmir. He said the onus is now on tour operators to design good packages for intending visitors, in consultation with their local counterparts. “Better intra-state and inter-state coordination between tour operators will prove to be beneficial to both stakeholders in J&K as well the tourists and tour operators,” he added.
Emphasizing upon the steps taken to increase intake capacity, Mufti Sayeed said the Government will take up the issue of operating chartered flights between Delhi and Srinagar to check rising air fares as well as running special trains from Ahmedabad, Delhi, Pune and Mumbai to Jammu to provide alternate mode of transport to the travellers.
Describing promotion of tourism as a collective responsibility of Government and private tour operators, Minister for Finance, Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu, said it is time that steps are taken to bridge the gap between perception and reality that exists in J&K. “We have to convert vicious cycle into virtuous cycle. You are at the intersection between business and society and our natural corollary in taking J&K on top of the tourism sector,” he said while referring to the role of tour operators in promoting tourism in the State.
Speaking on the occasion, the Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Tourism, Girish Chander, revealed several steps taken to improve tourism sector in the State which comprise restoration of flood-damaged infrastructure and establishment of pilgrims centres including Buddhist Centre at Leh and International Yoga Centre at Mantalai. He said the Central Government will also start a ski championship for tourists in Gulmarg shortly. “Already three separate promotional films on Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are being telecast on various entertainment and business channels,” he added.
Several heads of leading travel and tour associations gave valuable suggestions on improving footprint of tourists in the State which include improving air connectivity to remote tourist destinations by developing ‘Greenfield Airstrips’ for fixedwing aircraft carrying 15-25 passengers, rationalization of air fares, e-marketing, fair-weather road connectivity, promotion of lesser-known spots, creation of a Heritage Tourism Board, Business Plan for 10 Top Tourism Segments, marketing packages into season-wise segments, better golf marketing, increase in private accommodation, better PR exercise by State Government, FAM Trips, checking harassment and fleecing of tourists, maintenance of heritage assets like Mughal Gardens, and focus on highlighting J&K’s rich cultural treasure.
Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner / Secretary, Tourism & Culture, Shailendra Kumar, MD JKTDC and Director Tourism, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Shah, were also present.
The galaxy of tour and travel heads from Federation of Association of Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), ADTOI, TAAI, Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, KCCI and J&K Hoteliers Club participated in the conclave.
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