 Early Times Report
KATRA, Sept 20: On the sidelines of the Annual General Meeting of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) at Gulmarg , a delegation of the Chamber of Tourism Trade and Industry Katra (CTTIK) comprising president Raj Kumar Padha, treasurer Ramnik Sharma, executive Member Neelam Singh and media head Arun Sharma, presented a detailed representation to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Sh. Omar Abdullah. The representation was submitted in the august presence of advisor to CM Sh. Nasir Aslam Wan, outgoing president TAAK Sh. Rouf Tramboo and incoming president Farooq Kuthoo, and chairman J&K Hoteliers Club Sh. Mushtaq Chaya. The delegation also included members of the Travel Agent Association of Katra (TAAK) led by Ajay Kumar Sanmotra with members Sanjay Kumar and Ashok Kumar. Among others present were Manohar Singh, Sonu Thakur, Vishal Sharma, Renueji Dhar, and Gourav Sharma .
On behalf of the tourism stakeholders, CTTIK extended its sincere appeal to the Hon'ble Chief Minister to urgently consider a comprehensive plan for the revival of tourism in Jammu & Kashmir. The delegation highlighted that the tragic Pahalgam terrorist attack and the subsequent Sindoor operation have cast a deep shadow over the region. These unfortunate incidents, occurring during the peak tourist season of April-May, resulted in a near-total collapse of tourism activity across Jammu & Kashmir. Hotels remained vacant, transporters stood idle, and allied services such as guides, shopkeepers, dhabas, and artisans were pushed into distress.
The representation further drew attention to the devastating cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in August 2025, which claimed many lives including Machail Mata pilgrims and Vaishno Devi devotees, while also causing large-scale destruction of public and private infrastructure. These calamities, coming in quick succession, have delivered yet another severe blow to the already fragile tourism sector, leading to massive economic losses between April and August this year.
CTTIK urged the government to immediately announce a relief package along with a structured tourism revival plan. The Chamber proposed measures such as organising roadshows in major Indian cities jointly by Jammu and Kashmir stakeholders to rebuild tourist confidence, conducting familiarisation tours for tourism stakeholders of both divisions to promote destinations effectively, designing integrated marketing plans and travel packages to encourage cross-conversion between leisure and pilgrimage tourism, focusing targeted marketing strategies on high-volume source markets like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, and constituting separate regional tourism advisory boards for Jammu and Kashmir comprising government officials and industry stakeholders to frame responsive measures and ensure sectoral coordination.
The CTTIK delegation strongly conveyed that Jammu & Kashmir holds unparalleled potential in pilgrimage, adventure, eco, wellness and inbound tourism, and what is required is a united and intelligent approach backed by visionary leadership. It was emphasised that the timely intervention and support of the Hon'ble Chief Minister would not only revive the tourism sector but also restore livelihoods, strengthen the local economy and uplift the morale of all stakeholders.
Reiterating its commitment to work hand-in-hand with the government in rebuilding this vital sector and ensuring sustainable growth for Jammu & Kashmir, CTTIK expressed confidence that collective efforts would help restore the state's position as a premier tourism destination. |
