Advisor to Governor Khurshid Ahmed Ganai today said the Governor’s Administration is making all out efforts to develop and promote tourism sector in the Jammu region besides taking innovative measures to boost the vital industry in the State.The Advisor said this while chairing a joint meeting of tourism stakeholders and senior officers of Tourism Department.Secretary Tourism, RigzianSampheal, Director Tourism Jammu, O P Bhagat, Managing Director JKTDC, Asif Hamid Khan, Deputy Director Tourism besides senior functionaries of Tourism and concerned departments attended the meeting.The representatives from tourism industry included Hotels, Restaurant, Bar and Lodges Associations from Katra, Bhaderwah, Patnitop, Tour and Travel Association, Jammu Heritage Society, Raghunath Bazaar Traders Association, Chamber of Industries and Commerce, Taxi operator Association and others.The meeting discussed various strategies for the promotion of tourism in Jammu including arrangement for successful conduct of Jammu festival.Representatives of trade, travel, hotel associations put forth their suggestions and demands including improvement of basic facilities at Shiv Khori, promotion of Border tourism, publishing tourist information brochures, organizing trade fairs, road shows, invitation to media houses for wide publicity of tourism destinations, up-gradation of road connectivity of tourist circuits, helipad services toPatnitop and Mantalai, calendar of activities of tourism department, establishment of Hotel Management Institute in the region, preservation and promotion of Buddhist Heritage at Akhnoor, BhimGarh Fort at Reasi, constitution of Kailash-Machail Shrine Board, light and sound show at Bagh-e-Bahu, promotion of scenic beauty along Mughal road besides many others.
To increase tourist footfall in the region, the Advisor observed that the ongoing work on prestigious tourism projects like restoration of Mubarak Mandi complex, Jammu Ropeway should be completed on fast track. He directed Secretary Tourism to closely monitor work on Jammu Ropeway Project and gear up men and machinery for its commissioning in January 2019.The Advisor called for organizing winter sports and allied activities at Patnitop in collaboration with Department of Youth Services and Sports to attract tourists.He directed the concerned officers to prepare Detailed Project Report for the improvement of road infrastructure in the tourist bound destinations and circuits.He also observed that the luxury buses should also ply on major tourism destinations for the convenience of the tourists. Having huge tourism potential in erstwhile district Doda, the Advisor said that he will personally visit Bhaderwah to take stock of tourism related facilities available there.The Advisor appreciated their ideas and suggestions and said that both the department and the trade bodies would work as a unit to promote Jammu tourism.The Advisor said that hotels and lodges are an integral part of tourism sector, and all stakeholders associated with the tourism industry have a significant role to play for promotion of tourism.The trade representatives also projected their several issues pertaining to renewal of registration, obtaining certification from pollution control board besides demanding recognition of hotels as industries so that they can avail the same benefits.The Advisor assured that government will take every possible step to get their grievances redressed.