“There is a false perception that Jammu and Kashmir is an unsafe place, so I request people from Tamil Nadu to visit us and see how the place has changed,” Priya Sethi, Minister of State for Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, said at a roadshow in Chennai. “The State is a safe place for tourists and I would also like to point out that stone pelting has also come down in the region,” she said.
The Minister was here along with a huge delegation from Jammu and Kashmir including Ministers, government officials and members of the hotels association. The team met Tamil Nadu government officials as a part of its tourism promotion campaign.
“Tamil Nadu has a wide range of corporate houses and I welcome them to have their MICE activities at Jammu and Kashmir. We can even offer good wedding destinations, which is the latest trend in tourism,” she said, adding that her team would campaign across India to clear the misconception about Jammu and Kashmir. During her interaction, she also pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir was the first to come out with a tourist trade Act. “We have a dedicated police force only for tourism,” she said.
All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association President, Tashi Motup Kau, said, “Places which are more than 1,000 years’ old are still alive here. For instance, Alchi in lower Ladakh houses some of the oldest monuments in the country. The hotels here offer good deals for tourists,” he added.
Mahmood Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism, Kashmir, said, “This year alone, we had more than 3 lakh visitors from South India. Last year, two lakh people visited our State.” Post war, Kargil has also emerged as a tourist hotspot. As on 2015, as many as 50,990 tourists from across India visited the Kargil zone. In 2001, the region saw 1,077 domestic tourists.
