KATRA: Newly appointed Principal Secretary Tourism Sandeep Naik and Director Tourism, Jammu R.K Verma, who had come especially to Katra to get the ground feed back of the tourism industry people of Katra, held a meeting with Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra and its Travel Agents Wing in which President of the Association, Rakesh Wazir and Chairman Shyam Lal Kesar were present.
Wazir emphasised the modalities with regard to the increase in the tourist inflow besides developing the places of tourist interest in and around Katra, thereby increasing the stay of the Yatris, over here by further diverting them towards the other beautiful pilgrim/tourist destinations of the State should be the main concern of the government and of the Tourism Department in particular.
He said that steps like all Central Government benefits originating from the Union Ministries of Small and Medium Enterprises (MS and ME), Finance, Industries etc. be given to tourism industry by making small changes in our registration processes and other modalities, extension of State tourism package which is expiring on 31st March, beautification of Katra town by way of lighting on the pattern of Marine Drive Mumbai etc.
Kesar said that the tourism had ever been providing the maximum employment to the people in the State and as such every effort should be made to increase the tourism potential in the State, encouraging the participation of private sector and Katra should be developed as real base camp for all pilgrim/tourist destinations of the State.
Sandeep Naik listened to the hotel and travel trade people and assured for sympathetic consideration on every point and said that regular meetings with tourism stakeholders of the State will be taken so that growth of tourism is expedited further by taking their valuable suggestions.
The meeting among others was attended by Dy. Director Tourism Sushil Atri, Assistant Director Ashima Sher, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Virender Kesar, Vivek Sharma, Karan Wazir, Madan aggarwal, R.S Nag, Vijay Ganjoo, Rattan Sharma, Vijay Kumar, Sardari Lal, Raj Kumar and Sunny Sambyal.