STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Expressing serious concern on the neglect of Jammu tourism despite repeatedly requests made to the State Government for enhancing the publicity funds under tourism sector for revival of Jammu tourism, the traders bodies said that it had suffered a great set back due to rail-link extension to Katra.
In a joint statement issued here on Sunday, Inderjeet Khajuria, Chairman Jammu Paryatan Vikas Mandal; Pawan Gupta President All Jammu Hotel & Lodges Association and Kuldeep Wahi, President Jammu Hotels, Bars & Restaurants Association reminded the State Government of their promises to compensate Jammu for the losses suffered to the tourism trader community as a whole, but the situation has further deteriorated and Jammu has become another Pathankot despite all the tall claims made by the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers.
In view of the declining economy of the suffering traders in tourism oriented sector, the tourism trader bodies had recommended vast publicity of the existing historical and religious places besides tourism spots in and around Jammu at State and national level to enhance footfall of tourists and pilgrims but scant attention was made to the said proposal.
It may be pointed out that during his first tourism meeting in Jammu, the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who was also holding the charge of Tourism Department had invited number of travel agents from State and abroad for promotion of tourism in J&K State and invited suggestions on the issue. But it was matter of surprise that the most of the travel agents were totally ignorant about the tourism places in Jammu and were talking about Kashmir only, due to complete lack of publicity about the places of tourism importance in Jammu, he added. Giving a reference to the successfully holding a three-day 64th Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) wherein 2018 was announced as visit ‘Kashmir Year’, Khajuria complimented the State Government for their endeavour to attract more and more tourists in the Valley. He suggested a similar convention of the TAAI in Jammu as well to expose the places of tourism importance including lakes, border tourism, Ambaran Buddhist Site, Raghunath Temple, Peerkho Gufa, Pandav Gufa, Shri Kali Ma Ji Temple, Kol Kandoli Pehla Darshan, Gupt Ganga at Parmandal and Utterbeni and so many other places.
Khajuria further said that Jammu has no dearth of beautiful scenic places but requires publicity, which has been neglected so far. Repeated requests were made to initiate publicity at State, Center and international level to improve the deteriorated tourism trade but were ignored, and Jammu could not attain the status of independent tourist destination and remained a transit camp only.
