Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the government will explore possibilities of starting helicopter services to the famous tourist destinations in the state to attract high-end tourists as well as business firms for hosting conferences.
"The state will explore possibilities of starting helicopter services to tourist destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Aharbal, Daksum, Bangus and Patnitop to kickstart convention tourism with a focus on winter. We have holiday resorts with required infrastructure that can bring corporate houses and people with common business interests together at one place," Sayeed said.
The chief minister was chairing a meeting here over breakfast with Arun Kandoo, Vice-President, The Rail Journey, an event organizer of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) Tourism.
Sayeed said the government would operationalise and incentivize chopper services to attract high-end tourists and business firms.
"We have to brace up and project Jammu and Kashmir as a premier winter destination through clubhouses and luxury resorts which provide facilities that compare with the best in the world," he said.
The chief minister urged corporate world to come over and explore the facilities available for hosting high-end conferences at state's leading holiday resorts.
"The government is concurrently focusing on the allied hospitality sector to professionally market the state as a high-end conference centre. We need to pan out conferences to places like Gulmarg, Patnitop and Pahalgam, especially in winter," the Chief Minister said, asking state Tourism Department to focus on hosting conferences this winter.
He described exotic resorts of the state as future business centres for country's corporate giants and identified MICE tourism as a window of opportunity for opening up new vistas in ever-expanding high-end travel market.
