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| State sans vision for tourism promotion | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 4: Despite tourism considered backbone of the state economy, government has no vision for promotion of the vital sector.
This could be gauged from the fact that government has failed to implement the tourism and eco-tourism policy for boosting the vital sector.
Jammu and Kashmir has a huge potential for tourism and eco-tourism. It is considered a backbone of Jammu and Kashmir economy but it has been restricted to few destinations while dozens of picturesque places have remained hidden destinations.
The tourism players have been often flaying the government for its failure in developing unexplored destinations, which could become an alternative to the existing ones and boost the tourism sector. "We need to have a comprehensive Tourism Policy to develop unexplored destinations," Mohammad Shafi, who runs a Travel Agency, said. "There should also be eco-tourism policy."
He said no efforts are being made to implement the eco-tourism policy, which was framed years ago.
"Infrastructure has to be created at unexplored destinations without harming the environment. The facilities have also to be improved at the existing tourist destinations this is only possible when we have tourism policy and eco-tourism," Bashir Ahmad, a hotelier said. He said that eco-tourism concept originated in the western countries where it was belatedly realized that using locally available building material like timber, stones, bricks mud etc, ought to replace concrete boiling material in order to preserve the environment and ecology of the area. "Unfortunately wanton destruction of great natural wealth of our state meaning the tall trees and other forest products has caused great damage to our environs and to economy both," he added. An official report of Environment Department said that unregulated tourists increase pollution, creating pressure on drinking water resources, lack of collection and disposal damages the environment and further it creates the problem of accommodation and congestion. "We have only few tourist places which are having the requisite infrastructure. But government has failed to regulate the tourists in these places, which proves detrimental to our environment," an official of Environment department said. The official emphasized for developing of eco-tourism concept saying, "We have to develop eco-tourism concept in the state and one should go on cycles or ride on ponnies to tourist spots having fragile environment." A senior official of Tourism department said the department was to implement the tourism policy in the state which would help to regulate the tourists in the state. "It will also help to upgrade the infrastructure at tourist destinations with proper water supply, sewage, drainage to ensure that environment is not affected," the official said. "Under this policy, we will be able to regulate tourists to various destinations and make tourism an environment friendly sector." |
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