Centre to invest Rs 500 cr in Jammu & Kashmir tourism

The Centre is planning to spend Rs 500 crore in the next four years on the tourism sector under the Prime Minister's reconstruction plan in Jammu & Kashmir.

The main thrust will be on developing the existing tourism infrastructure and creating for tourists places to stay in. A proposal is also under way to develop tourism destinations, for which about a dozen tourist circuits have been announced by the government.

Speaking to Business Standard, Director Tourism (Kashmir) Farooq Shah said the department of tourism had plans to invest this amount for providing world-class facilities.

He said this money would be utilised in the next four years through authorities like the construction wing of the state tourism department, created for the development of tourist places like Bani, Bhaderwah, Patnitop, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Srinagar, Verinag, Aishmukam, Poonch, Shahdara Sharief, etc.

Apart from creating infrastructure, focus will be on the development of roads connecting tourist sites, improving sanitation, etc.

Referring to a recent survey by Thomas Cook and CNBC Travel Agencies, Shah said the survey said Kashmir continued to be an attractive place for domestic and foreign tourists, despite militancy.

"The state government is planning to provide insurance cover to tourists visiting Kashmir and intends to modify the existing Tourist Trade Act, 1978, making it more relevant and tourist-friendly," Shah added.

However, a few days ago Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "We faced a lot of opposition from Kashmiri people on our decision to have investment from outside and even from abroad in the tourism sector at Gulmarg and Pahalgam."