Jammu and Kashmir government today appealed to the nations, which have issued negative travel advisories on Kashmir, to allow their citizens visit the state saying it is as safe as any other part of the world.
"These countries should allow their citizens to visit Jammu and Kashmir as the state is as safe as other parts of the globe," state Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir said.
He was interacting with a group of Canadian tourists here last evening.
Mir said all the three regions of the state - Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu - offer diverse form of tourism and the state is all season destination.
"Kashmir, known as paradise on earth, is best suited for tourists for their holidays. Our state is all season destination owing to its varied topography and abundant natural beauty," the tourism minister said.
He said the government is "specially focusing" on promoting tourism in the state.
"We have not only developed new tourism spots but upgraded world class infrastructure facilities for the tourist at the world famous destinations of the state, besides creating new attractions of adventure, heritage and eco-tourism as well as leisure tourism," he said.
"Unfortunately, Jammu and Kashmir has passed through hard times, but the resilience of the people of Kashmir has helped the tourism picking up in the state," he said.
"We have created several tourist attractions in all the regions with a focus on highlighting adventure, golf, health and conventional tourism besides leisure and developed virgin tourism spots like Yousmarg, Doodpathari, Baderwah and Bangus," he said.
Expressing their feelings about the state, the Canadian tourists, who are on a week-long holiday trip, said they were overwhelmed by the beauty of the Valley and pledged to take up the issue of lifting travel advisories on Kashmir with their government.
"There are no security problems in Kashmir, we will convey this message to the fellow countrymen and will even write to Canadian government that it should lift the advisory on Kashmir," they said.
The Minister said Kashmir was the centre of spiritual learning.
"It has been blend of different cultures of Buddhism, Sufism or Shaivism," he said adding Kashmir has been blessed by nature in arts and crafts uniquely.
