Sustainable Tourism
We need some new ideas to infuse new life into Kashmir tourism
HORIZONS
ROUF AHMAD BHAT
Tourism can be sustained after using the present infrastructure but without compromising the needs of the future tourism. Sustainable tourism is presently the need of hour as we are putting more pressure on the tourism than what it can bear. The hope and survival of the Kashmir economy mostly depends on the Tourism. Every effort is being made by the tourism players to attract more and more tourists to the valley, be it domestic or foreign one. But less attention is paid about the carrying capacity of a particular destination and about the sustainability of tourism. Effective management, judicial use of the natural resources and better marketing strategies can do wonders for the sustainability of the tourism. With best efforts many countries have relaxed and revived the travel-advisories to its nationals to visit the paradise on earth i.e. – Kashmir. The current year’s rush of tourists has generated many hopes among the people of valley but at the same time it has also exposed the tall claims of the Government regarding the availability of infrastructure present to facilitate the tourists. Usually the valley faces the rush of tourists for a few months. In order to tune this rush and make the tourism all weather activity we need to tap some more virgin destinations and to invent some festive seasons in lean months by creating tourist festivals and events. On the infrastructure front we need to encourage paying guest system in the masses and should encourage the guest house business by providing the incentives that will also help us toeradicate the menace of growing unemployment. Free trainings should be provided to the people involved in current tourism business, viz: guides, pony wallas, drivers etc. Likewise the schemes “hunar se Rozgar”. The tourism professionals should be given a lead role to handle the things in a much professional way and the tourism should be made a compulsory subject in the curriculum of students both at school and college level in order to create the sense of tourism from the very beginning. Efforts should be made to make the valley peaceful in real sense as nobody will like to risk his life or the life of his dear ones. We can even use the political atmosphere of the valley as a tool of tourism promotion. Kashmir being a centre of world attention can be projected as a place of Political Tourism. One can see blessings in adversity and create opportunities in the problem itself.
We need brain storming sessions to generate the new ideas as it's only a fresh idea that can change the face of tourism in Kashmir.
(Feedback at roufdk@gmail.com)
Lastupdate on : Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:00:00 IST
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