Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 19: In a bid to formulate better strategy for tourism sector in 2013, the two hotel associations of the Kashmir valley are organising a seminar on tourism tomorrow.
Two Union Ministers and the Chief Minister of the State would take part in the seminar on the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism-Environment and Infrastructure’.
The seminar is being organized jointly by Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF). Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad would be the chief guest at the seminar while as Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah would preside over it.
“Srinagar is all set to make a history by organizing a high profile seminar on tourism. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad would be the chief guest on the occasion while as Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah would preside over it. Union Minister of State for Tourism with Independent Charge, K Chiranjeevi would also be taking part in the seminar,” said Mohammad Showkat Chowdhary, president KHARA while addressing a press conference here today.
Chowdhary said the seminar is also going to be attended by high profile tourism officials of both the Central and State Governments. He said the main aim of the seminar is to formulate strategy for next year’s tourism season so that better and modernized infrastructure is made available to the tourists.
“There is a need of following long term and short term tourism policies so that we can move ahead on the path of making tourism sector a really vibrant economic activity in the State. We will present the plan of action before the galaxy of Ministers and other officials during the seminar so that they too are involved in this process,” said Chowdhary.
Showkat acknowledged that there is a dearth of five star hotels in the Kashmir valley. He demanded that the Centaur Hotel should be taken back from Hotel Corporation of India and handed over to the association of the hoteliers. He said since Centaur Hotel is one of the two 5 star hotels of the Kashmir valley it can suffice to the demand of the high end tourists who wish to stay in high profile hotels.
Sharing his views, Faiz Bakshi, president KHAROF said that after the lifting of advisories by some foreign countries it is imperative to put in place world class tourism infrastructure for the foreign tourists. He said this should also be supplemented by operation of international flights from the Srinagar airport.
Bakshi demanded that international flights like Srinagar-Delhi-Dubai and Srinagar-Delhi-Malaysia should be operated at least once in a week. He said it is not possible to construct tourism infrastructure since there is a ban on construction activities in the Boulevard area and the Pahalgam area.
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