To change the ‘negative perception’ and clear apprehensions of people in other states about visiting Kashmir, state government is all set to launch a tourism promotional campaign from March 25 with an aim to lure visitors.
Tourism has nosedived in Kashmir post Pulwama attack owingto ‘negative publicity’.
Tourism department along with other stakeholders includingrepresentatives of tourism trade fraternity from all the three regions—Jammu,Kashmir and Ladakh has decided to launch a “sustained campaign” to promoteKashmir’s tourism in other states in a meeting on March 16, said an officialprivy to the development.
The decision was taken during a meeting headed by advisorKhursheed Ahmad Ganai, commissioner secretary tourism Rigzin Samphel, directortourism Nisar Ahmad Wani and other officials with various representatives ofstakeholders of state’s tourism industry.
“There has been a lot of negative publicity about our regionin the aftermath of February 14 attack, which has badly hit our tourism. It wasdecided with 20 associations of various stakeholders of tourism industry in ameeting that a vigorous campaign is needed to again put our tourism on track isneed of the hour,” said the official.
Confirming the development, advisor Khursheed Ahmad Ganaitold Greater Kashmir that campaign will be kick started from Mumbai on March25.
“It is right that we have held a meeting in this regard athotel Taj Vivanta last week,” said Ganai.
The campaign will be starting from Mumbai and after movingthrough cities including Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jaipur willculminate at capital city New Delhi.
During the campaign, the delegation of senior functionariesfrom state government and officials of tourism department along withstakeholders of Kashmiri tourism will be meeting and having interactions withhoteliers, tour and travel companies and media from other states.
“We have identified our potential tourism market andaccordingly decided to visit these cities. We will be also taking suggestionsfrom them,” said the official, adding though Tourism Department had recentlyconcluded this year’s promotional tourism campaign, but in wake of the scenariogenerated post February 14 attack, the need was felt to conduct anothercampaign.
President of hoteliers group of Kashmir, Mushtaq Chaya whowill be also part of the state’s delegation told Greater Kashmir the move wasnecessary in wake of the losses suffered by stakeholders involved in state’stourism industry.
“There are around 10 lakh people directly or indirectlyinvolved in tourism industry. It is necessary to clear negativity that has beencreated unnecessarily,” said Chaya.
Kashmir’s tourism industry and hoteliers had wonappreciation for their endeavour of offering free accommodation to non locals,during crisis aftermath of border skirmishes between India and Pakistan armies,when the airports in the state were closed and Srinagar-Jammu Highway wasoff-traffic due to snow and landslide.