Tourism can overcome the fear of terrorism in J-K: experts

Tourism can be used as a tool to overcome the fear of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, an expert panel today said.
"The fear (of terrorism) is the root of conflicts and tourism is the best way to overcome this fear.'Terrorism divides, tourism unites', Ajay Prakash, President, International Institute of Peace through Tourism-India said, while speaking at a seminar organised by the School of Business Studies Central University, Jammu.
He said that tourism can be the best tool as people interact with each other when they travel.
"They come to know that they all are alike and like-minded," he added.

Speaking about the demography of India, he said that India has the advantage as it has more young people with potential and skills to serve the world.
"Young people are more intellectual, tech-savvy and have good problem-solving skills. We need to integrate these skills in order to make our world inclusive and sustainable for better living," he said.

Another speaker Dr B R Manjunath Chairman, IIPT-Education Network Forum said, travel and communication are the essences of peace.
Travelers should integrate their travel with the local community to respect local culture in order to overcome conflict and grow intellectually, he said, adding, conflict can be avoided through expansion of tourism across the state.

"Tourism and travel broaden our attitude to think positive about the places and people. One should not try to change the lifestyle of others but simply carry a message of peace. Come to my land and see how we celebrate life," he said.