Srinagar, Apr 14: Department of Tourism today kicked off ‘Heritage Week’, a week-long programme to promote heritage tourism in the Valley.
 The programme shall come to end on April 21.
 Minister of state for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani flagged off the programme at SKICC here.
 Director Tourism, Farooq Ahmad Shah while addressing the gathering, stressed on the need for preservation of heritage sites and promotion of heritage tourism.
 “JK Tourism is organizing heritage week in order to create awareness among the masses to protect heritages sites and promote heritage tourism,” Shah said.
 He said the department will hold opera show twice a month as a strategy to promote traditional and rich cultural heritage of the state.
 “Kashmir has got 5000 years’ old history and there are many heritage sites here. We need to preserve them so that we can showcase them to the tourists. Residential houses of emperors, ancient mosques and sites are our cultural heritage and we need to protect them all,” Shah said.
 He said: “We have already renovated many heritage sites and work is going in various historical sites. We have successfully renovated historical mosque, Aalia Masjid and there are many such projects on which work is currently going on.”
 Meanwhile, Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) also gave power point presentation of the work they have executed in collaboration with Tourism Department for the conservation of heritage sites.
 Dr. GQ Allaqband, poet and social activist Zarif Ahmad Zarif, ex DGs Tourism Muhammad Ashraf and  Saleem Beigh, and vice-president Hotel Corporation of India Chetan Kak were present on the occasion

Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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