SRINAGAR: The surge in the tourist footfall this season is the highest since the Tulip Garden was opened for the public in 2006.
The union ministry of tourism has recently asked the J & K tourism department to start initiatives for the promotion of summer offbeat destinations.
This move has come close to the heels of a recent high level meeting by J&K chief secretary in which he discussed broader contours of strategy to promote religious, craft and heritage tourism in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
After the meeting Commissioner Secretary Tourism Yasha Mudgal told reporters, “As part of its promotional strategy, the Department of Tourism is taking various initiatives including FAM tour to heritage and pilgrim site, generating user content, iconography and documentation of such places, carrying out digital campaigns, creating mini documentaries, sponsorships and organizing festivals to promote these circuits for tourist lover”.
Mudgal further said that they have identified 35 offbeat destinations for promotion of summer tourism and these destinations were discussed with the ministry.
It is in place to mention that record breaking tourist footfall of 4.3 lakhs was witnessed only at Asia’s largest Tulip Garden in the Kashmir valley this year.
The J & K administration said that the surge in the tourist footfall is the highest since the Tulip Garden was opened for the public in 2006.
There has been a huge jump in the tourists during the winter months and also in the spring season and other destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg have also witnessed huge tourist footfall in the past few months.
Releasing the figures J&K Tourism Department said that in the past three months 1,62,281 visitors visited this snow-clad destination of Sonmarg in Ganderbal district of Kashmir.
Sonmarg and Gulmarg along with Pahalgam witnessed delayed snowfalls during the winter months but the surge in the tourist footfall only enhanced.
In the current spring season, J&K Tourism officials are confident by the figures that it would be a record breaking season in the Kashmir valley.
With the Centre keen to promote offbeat destinations in J&K for the summer months, authorities here are expecting a very healthy summer season both in Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
J&K tourism department has decided to promote these offbeat destinations for summers by organizing grand events at these places.
The chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir has already asked his two secretaries of tourism and culture departments to promote all those circuits for the tourists in which there is rich heritage, culture, crafts and cuisine.
With a sharp focus on tourism promotion, the tourism sector is growing and thousands of families are relying on it for their sustenance.