Minister for Tourism, Tassaduq Hussain Mufti today stressed for preserving and restoring existing tourism infrastructure, besides taking innovative measures to develop and boost the vital industry of J&K.The Minister said this while chairing a meeting of consultants of Darashaw Consultancy to explore the possibilities to develop an eco-tourism circuit in Jammu and Kashmir State.The consultants apprised the Minister about possibilities of regional planning, Urban Planning and Smart City Plans to develop sustainable, echo friendly and economy generating tourism infrastructure in the State.The consultants apprised the Minister about their vision towards the development of world-class tourism infrastructure in the state and said that the company is currently providing consultancy services to the various states under the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Tourism including PRASAD & SWADESH DARSHAN.The Minister sought suggestion and details regarding the possibilities to develop better tourist destinations in the State, besides maintaining its rich heritage, habitat, diverse flora and fauna existing in the area.
Tassaduq Mufti asked also asked the consultants to give details regarding the better Infrastructure, maintenance, Preservation, renovation, Planning, Design Engineering, Energy & Environment Development, Asset Management, survey and Technical Research for the sustainable and eco-friendly tourism infrastructure development in the state.He stressed for promoting cultural and heritage value of the State to generate livelihoods, besides eencouraging responsible, sustainability and conservation activities in the State.The Minister asked for organizing training and motivation programmes to encourage and guide locals and tourists to opt for the paying guest accommodation facilities. He Minister stressed for developing renovating preserving, and promoting sustainable tourism infrastructure by involving local stake holders. Mufti stressed for bio-stabilisation of roads, vegetation and plantation, besides up-gradation and renovation of the departmental assets, capacity building programmes, management of the assets and promotional activities being taken up by the concerned for tourism industry development in the State.He said that the ground staff service conditions should also be improved so that they could serve the in a more professional manner, besides taking care of maintenance, landscape, plantation, sanitation and proper waste management.He stressed for making teams to conduct recce, surveys and research for better planning and developing aesthetically rich structures in the area to boost and develop sustainable tourism infrastructure.Representatives of Darashwa Consultancy including Assocaite Vice Prisedent Vikram Thapar, Associate Urban Planner Cosultancy Division Himalaya Chowdhary Senior Associate Vice President Artictect Urban Designing Chirag Kapadia and Senior Associate Urban Planning & GIS Analyst Parvaiz Ahamd Bhat and various concerned official were present in the meeting.