Peace imperative for tourism to return: Mehbooba

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said there is a need to uphold peace in the Valley for the tourism to return after the last year's unrest adversely affected the industry.
"When there is peace, tourists will come and which will increase employment and there will be development as well. There is no need to advertise Kashmir. The whole world knows that there is no place beautiful than Kashmir. Sometimes the situation deteriorates which has an adverse impact on tourism," she told reporters here.
The Chief Minister was at the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir's Baramulla district to kick-start a 15-day Snow Carnival.

The festival marks the beginning of the adventure tourism activities at the resort, often referred to as skiers paradise.
Skating, ice-hockey, snow-boarding, snow sculpture, along with other such activities, will be the key features of the carnival.
Mehbooba said the tourists, who stayed away from Kashmir due to the last year's unrest, have now begun visiting the Valley.

"Kashmir is very beautiful. God has bestowed it with everything. But what is needed is to establish peace here," she said.
About Bollywood arriving lately to shoot movies in Kashmir, the Chief Minister said actor-director Imran Khan has shot 'Sargoshiya' in the Valley and many other film stars are expected to shoot here and in Pahalgam, just as Salman Khan shot for 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'.

She expressed hope that heavy snowfall after many years would attract more people towards Kashmir.
Mehbooba said the government is trying to improve infrastructure for winter sports to provide more facilities to the people visiting valley for snow.
I hope the tourists will become our ambassadors and tell other people that Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful, she said.
Referring towards film stars Imran and Javed Jafri, Mehbooba said, "They are here and I want them to persuade the people in the industry to shot their films here."
"People are safer here than most of the places outside because people do not murder here for money. Kashmir is a safe place for women. If there is any place where crime related to women is much less, it is our Kashmir," she said.

Later, the chief minister inaugurated restored heritage Maharaja Palace and the newly-constructed base station at the Gulmarg Gondola which houses many stalls showcasing cultural heritage of Kashmir.