J&K a peaceful tourism spot for foreign tourists: Minister

Describing Jammu and Kashmir as a peaceful tourism destination, state Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir has called upon overseas tour and travel operator bodies to facilitate visit of foreign tourists to the state.

"We call upon the overseas tour and travel bodies to guide the people of their countries to visit Jammu and Kashmir, the most ideal tourist destination in the world," Mir said at a function in London yesterday.

Mir was addressing a gathering of tour and travel operators from across the world at the concluding function of four-day World Travel Market at Excel Center in London, a statement issued here said.

Over 5000 delegates from different countries participated in WTM London, where stalls were setup to showcase the tourism potential of the state, it said.

Speaking at the function, the state minister said Kashmir was as safe as London or any other country in Europe.

"Tourism is one of the major binding forces for spreading friendship and uniting souls. All of us have to act as Tourism ambassadors and try our best to unite those parts of the world which are still less connected," Mir said.

Hoping that in future the state would witness a big boom of domestic and foreign tourists, the J&K Tourism Minister said: "Tourism is the mainstay of our state's economy and the government has launched a vigorous tourism promotion campaign in and outside the country."

Mir assured travel operators that the state government would facilitate air travel of foreign tourists intending to visit Jammu and Kashmir.

The J&K government has taken several significant steps to upgrade the tourism infrastructure in the state, he said.

"The state government has developed conventional tourism facilities which makes it an ideal place for holding national as well as international conferences," he said.

Mir said the state with its varied topography, climate, landscape, and rich cultural mosaic is undeniably the most ideal tourist destination in the world, with Kashmir Valley often described as "Eden of the East" and "Paradise on Earth".