G20 event has potential to promote J-K as tourism destination: Official

The upcoming G20 event in Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to promote the Union territory as a global tourism destination, Tourism department secretary Abid Rasheed Shah said here on Friday.

"There is a very important event that is going to be organised in J-K in the last week of May. The third tourism working group meeting of the G20 countries is going to be held in Kashmir," Shah told reporters here.

The Tourism department held a model G20 summit -- a prelude to the main event which is scheduled to take place from May 22-24. The prelude event was attended by more than 60 students from various colleges and universities.

The Tourism secretary said it is a massive event for J-K and has the potential to promote J-K tourism at the international level.

The general public of Jammu and Kashmir, including students, are widely participating in various events in the run-up to the main meet.

Tourism is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir's economy and the maximum share of the Union territory's GDP comes from tourism, he said.