Secretary Tourism, Sarmad Hafeez, today held an interaction with several travel agents’ associations from Maharashtra and Gujarat regarding promotion of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism in these western states of the country.
Besides heads and representatives of several travel agents’ associations, Director Tourism Jammu/Kashmir, Managing Director J&K Tourism Development Corporation, Managing Director J&K Cable Car Corporation and other Tourism Officers also attended the interaction session.
While interacting through video conferencing, the heads of the travel and trade associations from Maharashtra and Gujarat acknowledged the tremendous response to J&K Tourism initiatives of reaching out to them.
During the interaction, Secretary Tourism gave several suggestions to the heads of travel agents associations on the subject. The travel heads also gave various suggestions while appreciating the Tourism Department for some of the great initiatives taken due to which J&K was a buzzword among the people in Mumbai and other areas of Maharashtra.
Similarly, travel agents from Gujarat also put forth their suggestions wherein Secretary Tourism assured that all these would be incorporated in the tourism development plans.
The travel agents appreciated the streamlining of Gulmarg Gandola Cable Car with respect to online booking and other initiatives. They also lauded the opening up of new destinations across Jammu and Kashmir.
They suggested the J&K Tourism Department to conduct road shows in different areas as people all over from Gujarat want to visit J&K. On the occasion, Sarmad Hafeez directed the outside offices across the Indian cities to share information with travel agents and disseminate it to the people.
On spot instructions were given to officers to incorporate the suggestions highlighted during the interaction programme to make the travel experience for tourists to J&K a memorable one.
On the occasion, the representatives of travel agents raised several issues like increasing the frequency of trains to J&K besides other. They expressed satisfaction with respect to last year’s arrangements put in place during the annual Shri Amarnathji pilgrimage.
Secretary assured that further efforts would be made to make the Yatra experience better with enhanced arrangements and facilities.