Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 28: Mohan Singh Sudan, President and CEO- Chamber for International Trade and Industry (CITI), former Policy Advisor to the Government of Sikkim believed that they must understand as to how tourism spending can advance economic development and how effective tourism is in helping to achieve exclusive growth.
As per press statement, he further states that Sustainable tourism does not simply happen, it requires an overall integrated development strategy and detailed planning, with a host of supporting mechanisms including public-private partnerships, appropriate legislative and institutional reforms, training and public education, infrastructure and technology, finance and credit systems that reach down to the poor, and continued monitoring and evaluation.
Patnitop, Sudhmahadev and Mantalai area is the most beautiful and attractive destination of the world to be developed for achieving its new heights in boosting economy of the region by developing Eco-tourism cum wellness hub/ village through an integrated development approach: Tourism provides opportunities for diversifying local economies and promoting formation of micro and small enterprises to receive tourists by presenting a positive image with a view to revitalize nature tourism through wellness-tourism and increasing tourists to the area to connect with the nature and get cured.
He warned that badly planned strategy can be extremely destructive to its surrounding environment. With an integrated development strategy, comprehensive planning and participation by all levels of community, tourism is capable of accomplishing many worthwhile and needed objectives. However, still better ways need to be developed to ensure that tourism is, in fact, "sustainable". Mr. Sudan however stressed that the Tourism sector must act as a catalyst for other development, and not an end in itself. Over-dependence on any single industry may be equally as risky to a local economy as any other mono-activity, especially in today's liberalized world economy.
He also suggested that J&K Government / High Court may consider nominating a working Group on Tourism cum wellness industry to finalize an integrated development strategy to be implemented through a cluster approach for competitiveness keeping in mind the initiatives. |
