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| J&K-Tour Operators camaraderie to continue: Jora | | |
MUMBAI, FEBRUARY, 07- Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora has said that tour and travel operators have played a commendable role in revival of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. He hoped that this camaraderie between J&K and tour travel operators will continue in the coming season.
The Minister was speaking at India's biggest three-day Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF), which he inaugurated at Bandra, Mumbai today.
Around 1,500 tour and travel operators across the country are participating in the fair including operators from Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and Kolkata. Besides, representatives of 22 international tour operators including Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and Mauritius are also participating in the fair. Among the various stalls put up, J&K's stall is the biggest with 60 tour operators and package providers traveling to Mumbai from the State.
Mr. Jora is accompanied by Secretary, Tourism, Mrs. Tanveer Jehan, Managing Director, JKTDC, Mr. Rafiq Qadri, Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director, Tourism, Jammu, Mr. S.M. Sahai and other senior officers of the Tourism department. The Minister said that J&K Government has embarked on a massive infrastructure development programme for giving a fillip to tourism in the State with many new and unexplored areas brought on to the tourism map of the State.
Dwelling at length on the new initiatives taken by the Government, he said stress is being laid on identification of new tourist destinations, promotion of pilgrim and golf tourism as well as exploring the potential of heritage sites. "From the mountains of Ladakh to serene valleys of Kashmir and great Temples of Jammu, the state is endowed with rich treasures", the Minister said, adding that the State is fully equipped to receive tourists in large number from across the world.
He said that tourism in the State has been made year-round affair and an expanded winter sports festival is being held in the State. A national snow festival has also been organized in Gulmarg in which events like ski-race, cycle-race, sledging and snow rugby have also hosted, he added. Jora exhorted upon tour operators to be the ambassadors of their respective countries and states to encourage people of their places of origin to come and see J&K and enjoy its breathtaking beauty.
The Minister said that all the three regions of J&K have a great potential in tourism, adding that Srinagar's scenic landscape, Jammu's pilgrim tourism as well as Ladakh's rich heritage are its main attractions. Referring to the promotion of ecotourism, the Minister said that focused attention to stop interference into our State serene environs is the top priority and for this many initiatives have been taken up by the government to protect its fragile areas. He said icons of state tourism like Dal, Wular, Mansar, Surinsar lakes, pine forests and picnic spots won't be allowed to be ravaged.
On the occasion, the J&K Cultural Academy organized a programme showcasing the cultural heritage of all the three regions of the State, which was highly appreciated by the audience. Later, the Minister also inaugurated Jushne-Kashmir, a festival which was organized by the J&K Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India and Tour and Travel Society, Kashmir.
A deputation of Maharashtra Tour and Travel Operators also called on the Minister and assured him full cooperation for promoting tourism in the State.
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