Singapore, Jul 8: Jammu and Kashmir has stepped up efforts to woo foreign tourists, especially those from Southeast Asian countries as the government underlined that the state is secure, peaceful and beautiful for visitors.
 It has been very peaceful for the past year and the para-military troops have gone back to the barracks while bunkers have been removed, State Tourism and Culture Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora, who is here as part of a three-city campaign to Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to attract tourists, said today.
 Responding to questions raised by Singapore tourist and travel industry officials about security in the state, the Minister said Jammu and Kashmir is secure, peaceful and beautiful.
 Addressing over 100 tourist and travel industry officials on the concluding day of the campaign, he said the state government saw great potential for the tourism industry from Southeast Asia.
 On the issue of travel advisory to tourists, he expressed concern over Western countries often asking their nationals to restrict travel to Jammu and Kashmir.
 To mention, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Nasir Aslam Wani had earlier wooed Malaysians to choose the picturesque J&K as their holiday destination.
 Wani, who was in Malaysia on a road-show to showcase the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir, had stressed that the state was as safe as any other place in the world and "tourists have never been a target"

Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST