J&K Aims To Attract More Tourists From South India

Lakshmi Subramanian - Chennai

Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), a state plagued by problems of militancy is looking to set the ball rolling in the tourism segment. "Tourists are flocking back to Kashmir as the situation has considerably improved. Militancy has caused maximum loss in the tourism sector and we are looking to change that," said Jugal Kishore, minister of state for tourism, J&K. The state is looking to expand the religious tourism segment, as religious sites are a major attraction for Indian tourists. The year 2003-04 saw 54 lakh tourists visiting Vaishno Devi and is expected to cross the 60-lakh mark in the coming year. There were about six lakh tourists to Kashmir, expected to cross the eight-lakh figures next year. Similar is the case with Amarnath with about four lakh Indian tourists last year, which is expected to continue in the coming years. The reason being travel to Amaranth is possible only through the permit system. The Kashmir valley saw about four lakh foreign tourists this year.

In an effort to attract more tourists, the state is trying to develop important destinations such as Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Srinagar. The State claims that facilities and infrastructure including waterways, roadways, communication, civil aviation and accommodation has been upgraded and expanded. The Srinagar airport is also well equipped to handle about 950 passengers.

There is a special emphasis on attracting tourists from the South this year. According to the minister, "There are several reasons for trying to attract tourists from the South. One being the commercial angle, more importantly there are less number of tourists coming from the South due to the concerns for safety." When asked about the safety of the tourists the minister assured that there is adequate security at important tourist destinations. In addition, the situation tends to change when Indian tourists visit Jammu and Kashmir he adds. Currently only 10 per cent of the Indian tourists are from the South. The state is looking to increase it to 25 per cent for which campaigning is underway.

In a meeting with the department of tourism, commissioner of tourism, government of Tamil Nadu and managing director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, Shaktikanta Das recognised the need to establish a reservation counter at the department of tourism. "This would make travel to Kashmir hassle free and would increase the number of tourists from the South," he adds. In addition, there is the tourist office, which will guide tourists on all aspects of travel to Kashmir. These initiatives will encourage tourists both from Tamil nadu and from surrounding states. The State Govt. has already signed similar contracts with Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Ladakh has received an encouraging 32000 tourists this year. The state claims that Ladakh has undergone several changes with the state building infrastructure with the help of independent funding. There is also a plan to create tourist spots in the Manali Road. The lake area has all the modern amenities required by tourists. The state has already started developing Shivkhoti, an important tourist destination located in the Jammu region. In addition, every community has religious centres, which make good tourist destinations in terms of historical importance, said the minister when asked about the initiative to attract tourists to the Ladakh region.

In addition, there are several resorts for adventure sports in Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yousmarg, Patnitop, Sanasar, Mansar & Kishtawar in the J&K division and Nobra Valley, Pengong tso, Suru valley in Ladakh. The ecology and environment centre has approved eco-restoration of degraded catchment areas of Jhelum and Chenab basins. The forest cover has been expanded in thousands of hectares. Two pilot projects have been launched in Verinag and Mahmaya under Indo-Norwegian project for development of seven lakh hectares of degraded forests.