Kashmir tourism woos Gujarati tourists

Vaishno Devi Temple, Kashmir

Tourism officials and private stakeholders have urged the Gujarati counterparts to visit Kashmir to alleviate the negative impressions about visiting Kashmir.  They were participating in the three-day Travel and Tourism Fair at Ahmedabad, as part of the country wide Kashmir tourism promotional campaign, which was started last week.

The team was headed by Tasaduq Jeelani, Director, Tourism, Kashmir. They met tour operators and media persons and invited them to participate in the upcoming ‘Kashmir Paryatan Utsav’ scheduled from September 29 to October 1.

“We highlighted the need for the media to play a constructive and positive role in the promotion of tourism in the state. Media should counter the negative perception of Kashmir,” said Jeelani.

He said a there is a negative perception that Kashmir is not safe for travel, which was created by some vested interests. He urged leading tour operators of Gujarat to organize trips to Kashmir.

He particularly referred to the pilgrim tourism avenues in the state, including Vaishno Devi and Amarnath pilgrimages.

Tourists from Gujarat had almost stopped travelling to the valley of Kashmir due to the distress prevailing in the state, commented an operator from Gujarat, who specializes in valley tourism.

The Kashmir tourism department has expressed optimism regarding the forthcoming ‘Kashmir Paryatan Utsav’ and expects more tourists to visit the valley, which was once termed the heaven on earth.