“Constructing hotels and huts is not the only way to make offbeat tourist destinations the places of tourist attraction within and outside the country but the development of other recreational facilities demand and deserve an increased attention of the J&K Tourism Department.
Focused attention on tourist infrastructure has undoubtedly shown an unprecedented surge in the tourist footfall at most of the conventional tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley for the third consecutive year this year but the development of infrastructural facilities at offbeat tourist don’t get an equal attention from the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department . Even the Union Tourism Minister’s recent statement during his recent visit to Srinagar about the immediate facelift of offbeat tourist destinations in view of the surge in tourist footfall necessitates an immediate response from the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department. While tourist infrastructure at offbeat tourist destinations remains as big a challenge as it was years ago, it demands and deserves an increased attention of the J&K Tourism Department. Constructing hotels and huts is not the only way to make offbeat tourist destinations the places of tourist attraction within and outside the country but the development of other recreational facilities demand and deserve an increased attention of the J&K Tourism Department. Showcasing traditional tourist destination of Kashmir at gala cultural events within and outside the country is a past practice which even if abandoned won’t make any different but making offbeat tourist destination worth showcasing at such gala cultural events within and outside the country could be a new trend of tourism promotion for J&K Tourism Department. To ensure that surge in tourist footfall continues the way it has continued in recent years the focus has to be on developing both the tourist infrastructure and as well as the basic recreational facilities both at the conventional tourist places and as well as the offbeat tourist destination identified for major facelift by the tourism department during last three years.
“Recently the Government transferred heads of several Tourism Development Authorities obviously for fast pacing the work on tourist infrastructural facilities at most off the offbeat tourist destinations identified for facelift in last three years by J&K Tourism Department. While the development of infrastructure deserves attention of the Tourism Department for the purposes of increasing the economic activities at offbeat tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley but yet again the protection of eco-fragile environment at offbeat tourist destinations remains a pressing concern for both the environmentalists and as well as the tourist stakeholders.”
Forget about developing tourist infrastructure at offbeat tourist destination in Kashmir even the basic facilities like road and mobile connectivity and scientific garbage disposal are found missing at these offbeat destinations including Gurez, Bangus, Karnah, Daksum, Lolab, Sinthan top and Doodhpathri. Recently the Government transferred heads of several Tourism Development Authorities obviously for fast pacing the work on tourist infrastructural facilities at most off the offbeat tourist destinations identified for facelift in last three years by J&K Tourism Department. While the development of infrastructure deserves attention of the Tourism Department for the purposes of increasing the economic activities at offbeat tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley but yet again the protection of eco-fragile environment at offbeat tourist destinations remains a pressing concern for both the environmentalists and as well as the tourist stakeholders.
