Making efforts to improve tourist experience: Omar
The Jammu and Kashmir government is making efforts to woo tourists, including steps to improve their overall experience, chief minister Omar Abdullah said, addressing the collapse of the sector following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
He was at the start of 'Rally for the Valley: Let's go to Jammu and Kashmir', a tourism revival initiative by the Travel Agents Association of India(TAAI).
'Tourists have a journey or an experience. That they go home and tell others about it and I think there are lessons we've all learned over the past few months,' Omar, who is also the tourism minister, said in his speech on Wednesday evening.
Tourist arrivals in J&K dipped to near zero after the attack at Baisaran meadow that claimed 26 lives, 25 tourists and a local. The Valley also saw an exodus of tourists immediately after the attack. The industry took a further dip amid the military confrontation between India and Pakistan from May 7 to 10.
Omar reiterated that the J&K government is using this time to improve infrastructure and overall visitor experience.
'I have already given instructions to the cable car corporation to upgrade the gondola in Gulmarg so that capacity is increased, ticketing is improved and the overall experience is enhanced. The same applies to other tourist attractions in J&K,' he said.
He extended his gratitude to the TAAI delegation and its president Sunil Kumar for visiting Kashmir.
'Let me express deep gratitude, not just from my side or from the government's side, but on behalf of everyone connected with tourism in Kashmir—thank you for being here and for giving us this boost,' he said.
On the Pahalgam attack, he emphasised the importance of learning from the past.
'It's hard to talk about the future without looking back to understand how we got here. The tragic incident on April 22 in Baisaran must never be forgotten,' he said.
On the improvement in connectivity, he highlighted the addition of rail services to the region:
'Today, Kashmir has a railway network. You were able to cross the highest railway bridge in the world—which is a testament to the hard work of engineers and the companies that built it. You crossed the only cable-stayed railway bridge in the country. And you did this in a region of extreme challenges,' he said.
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