Srinagar, Oct 7: In an attempt to prolong the tourism season in the Kashmir Valley, the J&K Tourism Department will hold a two-day Kashmir festival from October 10. The festival will be a regular annual affair.
 “We want to extend the tourism season in Kashmir which otherwise ends in September. We are holding Kashmir festival on October 10 and 11 this year and from next year it will be a permanent part of our tourism calendar,” the minister for tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora told reporters during a news conference here today.
 He said the department had been successful to advance the tourist season by more than a month by showcasing tulip garden at the start of the tourist season.
 The festival, the minister said, would help showcase the Kashmir in the season of autumn in all its grandeur.
 The minister said that tourist arrival here suffered a set back this year due to "unfounded negative" publicity of presence of Taliban and increase in infiltration.
 He said an estimated ten lakh tourists are expected to visit  Kashmir by the end of the year. Nearly 9 lakh tourists including  four lakh Amarnath yatris visited the state so far, he added.
 Jora said that security forces are being removed from tourist places. Nigeen Club in Srinagar and Verinag in Islamabad have been  cleared of the security forces, and efforts are on to remove them  from other tourist spots.
 The main highlights of the festival will be trekking expedition to Nara Naag, traditional Kashmir music concerts including Band-e-Paether, craft festival at Kashmir Haat, food festival, polo and golf matches to be played at S P College and Kashmir golf club respectively, fruit and flower shows at Nigeen, shikara race in Dal Lake, presentations at Mughal gardens, and several other traditional and musical programmes at tourist spots of Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
 Chief minister Omar Abdullah will inaugurate the festival on Saturday.
 Meanwhile, the minister accompanied by director, tourism department paid a visit to Shahenshah Hotel in the afternoon that was gutted in a devastating fire on Tuesday.
 The minister shared his grief with the hotel management and assured full support and help from the government to rehabilitate the hotel at the earliest.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Oct 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:00:00 IST