Navin Choudhary reviews functioning of tourism deptt

Jammu: Principal Secretary, Tourism & Industries, Navin Kumar Choudhary Friday reviewed the functioning of Tourism Department, Jammu here Friday.
He enquired about various infrastructure development projects in Jammu Province taken up under different schemes viz. PMDP, CAPEX & State Plan.
Principal Secretary Tourism enquired about the measures being taken by the Department for increasing tourist influx in Jammu Province. He instructed that adequate steps should be taken to divert at least 20% of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi pilgrims to tourist spots like Patnitop, Bhaderwah, Mansar, Basohli etc. by providing promotional publicity material in the form of pamphlets/leaflets at Katra itself.
He directed to incorporate the refurbishment of all Tourist Reception Centres in Jammu Division in upcoming proposals and instructed to initiate steps for starting at-least six luxury tourist coaches from Katra to adjoining tourist destinations like Mansar/Bhaderwah/Patnitop etc.
He also directed to update Tourism Website regularly and channelize the facilities like taxi, hotel booking through JK Tourism Website. Beside Airports/ Railways, the publicity through ads/magazines be launched vigorously, he advised the Departmental officials. He asked the Directorate to come up with brand names for all potential tourist places of Jammu. He directed to select six villages in the first instance as Tourist Villages and by conducting adequate training of such villagers under various Government schemes.
Director Tourism, Jammu, Deepika K. Sharma, Director, Geology & Mining O.P. Bhagat, Joint Director Tourism, Jammu Shokat Mehmood, Dy. Director Tourism Subah Mehta, Dy. Director Tourism (Publicity) Ansuya Jamwal, Dy. Director Tourism, (PMDD) Subash Chander, Dy. Director Tourism (Maintenance & Works) Pawan Gupta and other officers were present in the meeting.