Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that his government is working to improve the experience of tourists coming to the Union Territory.
Abdullah made these remarks while addressing a Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) event, ‘Rally for the Valley – Let’s go to Jammu and Kashmir’, a tourism revival initiative.
“Tourists have a journey or an experience. They go home and tell others about it. I think there are lessons we’ve all learnt over the past few months,” the Chief Minister said.
He said while the numbers are relatively low as compared to the pre-Pahalgam attack, there is hope as tourists at popular destinations in Kashmir are increasing.
“I have already given instructions to the cable car corporation to upgrade the gondola in Gulmarg so that capacity is increased, ticketing is improved, and the overall experience is enhanced. The same applies elsewhere in J&K,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to the TAAI delegations for visiting Kashmir, saying, “At this moment, I would like to extend my thanks to the President of the TAAI delegation, Sunil Kumar, and all of you who have come from outside J&K for your trust and confidence in us.
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“It is often said: you truly know who your friends are in difficult times. “Everyone wants to be your friend in good times,” the CM, who also holds the tourism portfolio, said.
While drawing on references from certain developmental projects, Omar said, “Today, Kashmir has a railway. You were able to cross the highest railway bridge in the world, which is a testament to the hard work of engineers and the companies that built it.
“You crossed the only cable-stayed railway bridge in the country. And you did this in a region of extreme challenges. "We hope more people will come,” he said.
“We should have as many people as possible cross this bridge. Because right now, we can claim we have the highest railway bridge in the world,” he added.
Jammu and Kashmir tourism was badly hit after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which terrorists shot dead 26 people in the Baisaran valley while they were enjoying their holidays. The incident brought India and Pakistan to the brink of all-out war.
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