Tourism Department in collaboration with Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF) held an impressive Travel Show in Pune seeking the cooperation of the travel associations and the media from the city for the promotion of J&K tourism.Over 150 leading tour operators from the city attended the show who also interacted with the members from the KHAROF.Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh who attended the show said Kashmir has immense tourism potential and people are most peaceful and loving in nature.“Everyone should visit J&K State and see the nature’s beauty. The beauty also lies in the hospitality of the people who are very warm and welcoming,” he said.Pune Mayor, Ms. Mukta Tilak shared her experience of visiting Kashmir.She said she found it safest place for travellers, especially for the women.“Even if we travel in auto at late evening, we are safe as people of the Kashmir are very good in nature and they take care of the tourists very well,” she said.She urged the travel agents from Pune to promote J&K in a big way so that the travellers from Maharashtra also visit paradise on Earth.Earlier, Deputy Director Tourism Kashmir Riyaz Shah gave a detailed presentation on the tourism products which the State has to offer.The seminar is a part of a series of road shows the department is organizing to promote J&K for the travellers within and outside the country.
Shah said J&K state is diverse in every aspect – be it leisure, adventure, culture, handicraft, cuisine, landscape, religion, architecture.Riyaz Shah said that a lot of filmmakers from Bollywood and even from South India are shooting in Kashmir and the department is facilitating their shooting through single window system. “Even now Malaysian and Thai films are being shot in Kashmir,” he said.He also invited corporate houses for conventions and meetings to J&K saying the state has finest properties to hold such events.President KHAROF Abdul Wahid Malik in his welcome address offered discounted packages for the travellers from Maharashtra.He said Kashmir has over 60,000-bed capacity and KHAROF is one of the largest hotel associations catering to over 24000 bed capacity from budget to star category hotels.He invited the travellers to visit Kashmir saying the place is not only the most beautiful place on the earth but safest also.KHAROF also released its annual directory during the show.Earlier, the Tourism Department and KHAROF addressed media in separate press conferences.Former KHAROF President Javed Bashir Burza briefed the media about the overall tourism infrastructure development in Kashmir.Sanjay Nahar, the founder of Sarhad, a social organization dedicated to working in border areas, was also present in the press conference who informed them about the safety of the travellers in Kashmir.Dr Vishwas Kelkar, president, Travel Agents Association of Pune (TAAP) also spoke on the occasion.Senior Vice President Syed Masood Ahmad Shah, Secretary General KHAROF Maqsood Misri among other office bearers also participated in the event.