The Centre is gearing up to launch a major tourism promotion programme, Back to Valley, to woo back tourists to Jammu and Kashmir. A senior J&K Tourism Department officer told THE WEEK that the campaign is being launched to neutralise the impact on tourism due to the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.
The J&K government has asked the Federation of Indian Tour and Travel Association to proactively work for tourism promotion in Kashmir.
The source said the J&K Tourism Department officials will be organising road shows in several states, especially Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal to promote Kashmir tourism. The three states contribute a major chunk of tourist inflow to Kashmir.
The department is also roping in major tour operators outside Kashmir to revive tourism in the valley. “Back to Valley is a major tourism boosting programme conceived by our department with assistance from the Centre,’’ a senior J&K Tourism Department officer said. “This is for the second time since February that tourism season in Kashmir has been disrupted."
The official said the J&K government and the Centre are keen on tourists returning to Kashmir in large numbers. "The February aerial clash after Balakote strikes caused cancellation of bookings by tourists," the official said. "The lone five-star hotel in Gulmarg suffered a loss of Rs 5 crore due to the cancellation of bookings.”
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The government on August 3 had issued advisory asking tourists and Amarnath yatris to leave Kashmir in anticipation of trouble due to the revocation of Article 370. Prior to the advisory, more than 8.6 lakh tourists and Amarnath pilgrims visited Kashmir this year.
The J&K Tourism Department is also participating in ‘Paryatan Parav’ tourism festival in Delhi to showcase Kashmir. Horticulture and tourism are the two main money spinners for Kashmir. Horticulture alone supports 35 lakh families while a good number of hoteliers, houseboat owners and transporters benefit from tourism.
