Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 14: Minister of State for Education, Technical Education, Culture, Tourism, Department of Horticulture, Floriculture and Parks, Priya Sethi today chaired a meeting with CEOs of Tourism Development Authorities of Jammu province to take an overview of the existing as well as upcoming infrastructure and development plans.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said intra-agency coordination and maintaining synergy at all levels of development and growth including all the stakeholders is the key to complete and implement the programmes initiated by the department.
During the meeting, she reviewed marketing and promotion plans put forth by the development authorities. The Minister directed all concerned to gear up for the new year with introduction of variety of comprehensive packages including adventure tourism activities, sightseeing tours besides providing the tourists with complementary micro packages including surprise packages for children along with complementary meals for bigger groups, with future preference for bookings to groups availing maximum facilities on their next visit.
To attract tourist footfall in the region, she asked the department heads to be ingenious with packages for new year celebration dates involving day packages as well as day/night packages both for local tourists as well as pan India tourist with recreational activities like musical performances with celebrity guests, day time activities like hiking, camping, with add-ons like complimentary meals etc.
The Minister called for focusing on making the prices of these packages both affordable as well as competitive with wider publicity to attract maximum tourists.
The Minister said tourism holds potential to change socio economic conditions of the State involving area developments, employment generation thereby bringing the State on the world map for choicest destination for the globetrotters.
She said while tapping the local tourist potential we must promote day picnic packages for students and families to cater to wider palate of the external as well as internal tourists. These packages may cater to wider taste and choice of tourists including religious tourism, adventure tourism, eco tourism, food tourism. She further asked the departments to make interesting packages which are activity based.
Priya Sethi said that increased inflow of tourists is going to create demand of tourist police and tourist assistance guides. Hence working on these lines present workforce and future intake of personnel has to be trained for success of all the ventures undertaken by the department. Presence of tourist police at tourist spots will create confidence among tourist and such action will send positive message to future tourist to the State.
The Minister directed all CEOs to submit a detailed report including present footfall of day picnicers and tourists, master plan, road connectivity, power supply, drinking water supply, solid waste management, promotional activities, infrastructure development started/ proposed under various state/central sponsored schemes and their expected results in increasing tourist inflow and various tourist circuits under consideration.
Priya Sethi also directed all CEOs to prepare two night/ three days packages for their respective development authorities keeping in view the availability of present infrastructure.
Among others present in the meeting Secretary Tourism Farooq Shah, Director Tourism Jammu, General Manager JKTDC, JD Tourism Jammu and CEOs of all Development Authorities of Jammu Province.
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