Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club held an interactive session with Secretary Tourism Sarmad Hafeez and Director Tourism Kashmir Nisar Ahmad Wani here.
Deputy Secretary Tourism Waseem Raja also attended the meet. Chairman J&K Hoteliers Club Mushtaq Chaya apprised Secretary Tourism about the issues hoteliers are facing and also suggested various steps to promote tourism sector. Chaya demanded complete waiver of electricity charges, GST reimbursement and interest free cash assistance to hoteliers.
The Gulmarg Chapter of Club demanded facelifting of the resort. Farooq Hafiz, who heads the Sonmarg Chapter of the J&KHC, sought blacktopping of the road and renewal of the hotel registration. The hoteliers from Pahalgam urged Secretary Tourism that they may be given permission for undertaking repairs of the hotels.
Tariq Ghani, Secretary General of the Hoteliers Club urged top officials that Kashmir should be advertised as the best destination of the country as hotels have put all COVID SoPs in place to welcome the travellers.
Secretary Tourism assured that a nationwide promotional campaign will be started soon to attract tourists to the JK. He said the department is organising winter festivals at Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
The statement said that the Secretary Tourism assured the Hoteliers Club that all pending payment to the hoteliers on account of using hotels as quarantine centres will be released soon.