New Delhi: To promote various tourism possibilities of Jammu and Kashmir and to avail various opportunities in travel, tourism and hospitality in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Tourism Department of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, FICCI (Knowledge Partner) and IGTAK in collaboration, recently organized a unique networking platform in Srinagar for ‘Utilizing Tourism Prospects: Another Day in Paradise’.
It was inaugurated by Lt. Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha and Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel and addressed the delegates at the event. The event aims to showcase the myriad tourism products of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and promote tourism to Jammu and Kashmir as a destination for vacation, adventure, eco, weddings, films and MICE tourism. Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh; Bashir Khan, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir; Sarmad Hafiz, Secretary of Tourism in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir; Additional Director General in the Ministry of Tourism, Rupinder Brar and other senior officials were also present in the inaugural session.
The event was attended by the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, key industry stakeholders and policy makers from various parts of Kashmir and India.
A special program of B2B meetings was also held between the major industry stakeholders of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry of Jammu and Kashmir and representatives of the rest of India who came to Srinagar. The meeting was attended by local tour operators, hoteliers, houseboat owners, transport companies and Kashmir vendors, as well as other key stakeholders in tourism and hospitality. The buyers included top tour operators, DMC, film celebrities, eco-tourism experts from different parts of India.
Addressing the virtual gathering during the inaugural session, Mr. Manoj Sinha mentioned that the new policy on Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Film Shooting to attract filmmakers and promote the region as a hot spot film shooting destination Will come up with.
Addressing the gathering gathered during the inaugural session, Mr. Manoj Sinha mentioned that Jammu and Kashmir has come up with a new policy on film shooting to attract filmmakers and promote the region as a hot spot film shooting destination. Union Territory will emerge.
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Culture, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, mentioned that the removal of Article 370 and the subsequent development works have increased the influx of tourists in the region.
Speaking on the occasion, Bashir Khan, Advisor to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir mentioned that it is encouraging to see that there has been a considerable increase in the number of tourists in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the lockdown and more tourists during the summer season in the coming 3-4 months. Is expected to come here. He also said that his government is making a long list of new destinations, which can be displayed to attract more tourists.
Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Shri Arvind Singh said that he is leaving no stone unturned to start tourism in Jammu and Kashmir once again, efforts have been started in this direction from winter and especially domestic tourists. The process will continue over the summer.
Tourism Secretary in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Sarmad Hafeez, on the occasion, highlighted some historical tourist spots of the region and their importance.
Smt. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General in the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, noted that the rise of domestic tourism is a sign of revival and the conference will discuss strategies to showcase the best tourism products of Jammu and Kashmir to attract domestic tourists.
Director of Tourism in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir GN Itu first made a presentation about showing various tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir.
During the plenary session, experts discussed various strategies on how to “take Kashmir as a favorite tourist destination to the next level” to increase the number of tourists visiting the region after an epidemic. In another session, the panel on “making Kashmir more influential” touched on marriage, MICE and film tourism potential in Kashmir. In another session, experts on “showcasing Kashmir’s diverse tourism products” discussed the various niche tourism possibilities of Kashmir including culture, heritage, film, vacation and golf tourism.
In the session “Wazwan, Zafran, and Shikara – and many more …” experts said that Kashmir should not be mentioned as a “restricted area” for any foreign tourist. Global experts can be consulted to develop tourism in Kashmir. International destinations like Kashmir, Switzerland etc. should be seen as a case study for the betterment of tourism in Kashmir. To promote Kashmir as a culinary tourist destination, different visual strategies such as logos, videos, pictures, etc. related to food and cuisine should be considered.
To promote the gastronomical heritage of Kashmir, the Government of India organized live cooking classes with Master Chef India winner and celebrity chefs Pankaj Bhadoria and Chef Ranveer Brar. The two chefs visited the local market of Srinagar and bought ingredients and demonstrated their cooking skills in Kashmiri cuisine to the students of Srinagar’s Institute of Hotel Management (IHM). The purpose of the session was to promote the local cuisine and cuisine of Kashmir in India and the rest of the world.
An exhibition of various Kashmiri textiles, embroidery and food was organized at the conference site. It was accompanied by a shikara and boat ride to Dal Lake for delegates, followed by a beautiful laser show at Dal Lake with a musical fountain. The laser show project at Dal Lake, SKICC is now permanent, funded by the Ministry of Tourism.
The tulip garden of Kashmir is a unique tourist destination, showcasing many Bollywood films, which have the potential to attract tourists from all over the world. It is the largest tulip garden in Asia spread over an area of about 30 hectares. It is located in the foothills of the Zabarwan Range with an overview of Dal Lake. The park was opened in 2007 with the objective of promoting floriculture and tourism in the Kashmir Valley. The best time to visit Tulip Garden is between the end of March and the beginning of April.
In order to promote Kashmir as an international golf tourist destination and showcase the world class golf infrastructure in Kashmir, a golf competition is organized at the golfers’ delegation from different parts of India and local golfers of Srinagar by the Royal Spring Golf Course. And this is followed by an awards ceremony.
Kashmir has the potential to become one of the top golf destinations in India and one of the world’s premier golf tourism destinations. Jammu and Kashmir provides excellent opportunities for golf players during summer (April to November). Golf in Jammu and Kashmir is always a pleasant and one of the main attraction among tourists.
Vietnam Ambassador H.E. Pham Sanah Chow who has traveled to different parts of the world has compared the different natural beauty of Kashmir to the various natural beauty of the world like Canada, Switzerland, other parts of Europe, Vietnam and many more. According to him, the beauty of the whole world can be seen in Kashmir itself.
His Highness Willie Kipkorir Bate, Kenya’s High Commissioner and his wife His Majesty Aastha Gemwatai Bate, were both completely overwhelmed by the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar and referred to it as a world-class golf destination. Her Majesty Bett also mentioned that she has become a big fan of Kashmiri cuisine. She has specifically mentioned that she will try some dishes at home.
Georgia’s Ambassador H.E. Archil was overwhelmed by the beauty of Gulmarg and enjoyed skiing during his trip to Gulmarg. He said that the slopes in Gulmarg are ideal for skiing and one of the best skiing spots in the world.