Need to promote Jammu as independent tourism destination: Mufti

Says tourism potential of Jammu is equal to that of Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir tourism will work in "mission mode" to attract tourists this season especially to Jammu region which has potential equivalent to that of Kashmir but has remained untapped, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said today.

The state government is also working towards promoting Jammu as an independent tourist destination and plans to bring the region's Dogra heritage into focus as mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme of the PDP-BJP coalition government.

"The tourism potential of Jammu is equal to that of Kashmir...The J&K tourism department will work in mission mode to attract leisure tourists this season," Mufti said while reviewing the performance of tourism development authorities (TDAs) of Jammu region.

Calling for collaborated efforts by stakeholders to showcase various recreational places in Jammu as one summer package for tourists, the chief minister said the initiative to sell Jammu as an independent tourist destination has already been set into motion.

Referring to several recreational and historical places in Jammu region which have not been showcased so far, Mufti said places like Ranjit Sagar Dam in Lakhanpur-Sarthal, Sanasar and Baghliar Dam in Patnitop, Surinsar and Mansar lakes in Udhampur and Samba, Sinthan Top, Warwan in Kishtwar, Shahdara Sharief in Rajouri, Budha Amarnath and the seven lakes in Poonch have to be sold in a big way this season to promote Jammu as a "destination with recreational abundance".

During the meeting, Mufti took a detailed feedback from all the ministers, MLAs and MLCs to promote Jammu as one tourism package. "If tourism has to flourish, we have to have right linkages at the right places," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh laid stress on bringing on the main stage Jammu's Dogra heritage which has also been mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme of the coalition government.

"Besides heritage tourism, Jammu's border tourism potential also needs to be explored in a big way," he said.