JAMMU: The tourist places of Jammu region, Ladakh and even some places of Kashmir region were not disturbed by the Kashmir turmoil and were as peaceful as ever but due to media hype across the world these places too got severely affected and a major publicity campaign through different mediums will bring back the tourism of the State on track.
This was stated by President Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, Rakesh Wazir while interacting with Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti here.
Hotel and Restaurant Association Katra representatives led by its President Rakesh Wazir accompanied by Chairman Shyam Lal Kesar, Vice Presidents Vivek Sharma, Ajay Kotwal, Members Aashiq Bhatt, Sunny Sambyal met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and apprised her about the problems being faced the tourism industry. Dy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, MoS Tourism, Priya Sethi, Secretary Tourism Farooq Shah, Director Tourism Sushma Chauhan were also present on the occasion.
Wazir said that the biggest task at the moment is to remove the notion among the minds of the people that atmosphere is not conducive for tourists over here through publicity and they should come in large.
Wazir said that turmoil in Kashmir led to cancellation of various film shootings. These included Salman Khan starrer Tube light which, Wazir said, was shifted to Himachal Pradesh.
“We could not convince them even, that these shootings could be done at other peaceful beautiful locations like Patnitop, Sanasar, Bhadarwah,” Wazir regetted. Kesar appealed that the major achievement in increasing the tourism can be achieved only if we be able to divert one crore tourists visiting Vaishno Devi Shrine every year to other parts of the State by which we can increase the stay of the Yatris viz-a-viz economy of the State as well.
Mehbooba Mufti said that it was the dream of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, then Chief Minister to make Jammu region as an independent tourist destination and it will be fulfilled at every cost and all the views and suggestions put forth by the association will be considered sympathetically.