J&K govt to develop mobile app to guide tourists

To guide tourists, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to develop a mobile application for them to convey all key information through cell phones.
"When a tourist enters the state from Lakhanpur in Kathua district, he has no information about where to go. I have asked the tourism department in Jammu to develop an app which could guide the visitors to tourist destinations in the vicinity," Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi told PTI.
She said the aim of developing the mobile application is to increase the tourist footfall in the state.
"The tourists should have all the information regarding the tourist places in Jammu and Kashmir handy and in this age of technology, what better option could be than having a mobile application," Sethi said.

The minister said that she has asked the Director Tourism of Jammu to start working on the mobile application.
"People who enter Jammu don't have an idea where Ranjit Sagar Dam is, where Balidan Stambh is, where Jia Pota, Suchetgarh are. This app would provide location as well as the direction to the incoming tourists," she said.

Sethi said she would soon hold a meeting with the Director Tourism of Kashmir region and ask him to start working on a similar mobile application.
She said the Jammu and Kashmir government wants to develop Jammu as an independent tourist destination.
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Sethi said she has directed the tourism department to prioritise and fast-track the projects which have been undertaken so as to provide an "excellent experience" to the visitors.
Apart from developing the mobile application, the Tourism Minister has also directed the department to install hoardings depicting information about tourist destinations in and around Jammu city.
"I have issued directions to focus attention on innovative tourism projects like sports tourism, border tourism, rural tourism and projection of new tourist circuits which need focused attention," she said.
She said corporate houses should also be involved in enhancing tourism in the state.
"Tourism industry is the backbone of the state and our Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has taken personal interest by touring border areas as well as major tourist destinations of Jammu to ensure that tourism in Jammu gets a boost," Sethi said.

To increase tourist inflow into the state, she has directed the officers concerned to organise special festivals and events at different locations in the province to highlight the tourist destinations as well as the cultural heritage of the state.
"I have instructed the officials concerned to prepare a calendar of events in advance and events like Jammu festival, Shiv Khori Mela, Lohri, Baisakhi and events in other places should be organised with pomp and show," she said.