Govt formulating SOPs for revival of tourism in J&K: Advisor Baseer Khan

Srinagar: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Ahmed Khan, today said that government is in the process of formulating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for revival of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.

“SOPs for tourism revival adopted by other states and Union Territories in the country are being studied for reference and replication before finalizing this vital document here in J&K”, the Advisor maintained.

Advisor stated this while addressing a webinar titled “Rebooting and Revival of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir through Public and Private Partnership” organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 

Chairperson FICCI Tourism Committee and CMD- The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, Executive Vice President, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel group, K B Kachru and Secretary General FICCI, Dilip Chenoy were among others who participated in the webinar while the session was moderated by Ashish Kumar, Co-Chair FICCI Travel Technology Committee.

Advisor said that the tourism sector can’t be opened up in a jiffy but after due consultations with the stakeholders while laying down all the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in this regard, the Sector can be resumed in a phased manner. He said that the government will soon come up with SOPs for regulating the influx of tourists (during the prevalence of corona virus) keeping the safety of all the players a priority.

He said that tourism industry has suffered a lot and impacted the economy hard and there is a need to reboot and revive the sector. He sought suggestions from the stakeholders in revival of tourism sector.

Advisor Baseer Khan also directed the concerned authorities to focus on the promotional activities through the use of technology to attract tourists once the government will be ready with a policy. He said that tourism in Kashmir doesn’t end with summer but there is a lot of scope for tourism in autumn and winter and we are preparing for that.

He thanked the private stakeholders from different parts who are ready to work with the government of Jammu and Kashmir on this front.

Various stakeholders raised their concerns and suggestions towards formulating a road map for revival of tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Advisor assured the stakeholders that their suggestions would be given due consideration while formulating the SOPs regarding tourism revival in the region.

Commissioner Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Zubair Ahmad, assured the stakeholders that all their interests would be taken care of while planning any activity under tourism sector. He said that every place in Kashmir is a tourist destination and the new investment policy will focus on virgin destinations.

All stakeholders who participated in the webinar had great praise for the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir saying that one recognizes and realizes its scenic splendor and hospitality only after coming here.