With the onset of winter and ahead of Christmas and the New Year, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism is geared up to celebrate and organise various gala events in the coming weeks across various tourism destinations in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
In this regard, Secretary Tourism, Sarmad Hafeez Saturday chaired a meeting at TRC Srinagar to review the preparations for these events.
Director Tourism Kashmir, Director SKICC, CEO Gulmarg Development Authority, CEO Pahalgam Development Authority, Joint Director Tourism, Joint Director Youth Services and Sports, Divisional Sports Officer Srinagar, Manager J&K Cable Car Corporation, Gulmarg and senior officers of the Tourism department were present in the meeting.
The Secretary Tourism urged the officers to work as a team in order to achieve the desired outcomes.
He said winter activities and celebrations should be organised across various tourism destinations so that tourism stakeholders and tourists present there are able to participate and enjoy in the festivals and colorful events.
“The upcoming Christmas and New Year should be celebrated in a manner befitting the occasions,” he said.
The Secretary Tourism said that following the opening up of tourism sector in July 2020, after months of lockdown, the Tourism department immediately started organising various events across various tourism destinations to send a message to the intending tourists that J&K was ready to welcome and host them.
He said the department also organised interactive meets with tourism stakeholders across the country including with the travel trade fraternity of Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states.
“We are seeing sudden surge in the tourist arrivals this month. The early snowfall has boosted our efforts and tourists are enjoying their time in Kashmir, especially in the famous Ski resort of Gulmarg. The local tourism stakeholders are also upbeat and hopeful of the return of tourism to its normal levels for which the Department of Tourism will make all out efforts,” he said.