Without any further intimation, Jammu’s first international roadshow, a tourism promotional event, originally scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur a month ago, seems nixed in all probability.
“The Travel Agents Association of Jammu (TAAJ) was to organize a roadshow in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 25th July, 2019. The deputation of various tour and travel associations was finalized for the event, while the names of the officials were awaited. In the meantime, Secretary Tourism J&K and Director Tourism Jammu were transferred and the new authorities failed to provide us with confirmation for the scheduled date or a new date to organize the event,” said Jatinder Koul, President, TAAJ.
“The roadshow was originally fixed for 22nd June, 2019. Except for the visas and air tickets, we had made all the bookings and arrangements in Kuala Lumpur. It was postponed to 25th July, 2019, when OP Bhagat, the then Director Tourism, apprised us of his unavailability on account of Shri Amarnathji Yatra. At the moment, we don’t know whether it will be allowed and when. The fate of Jammu’s first international roadshow hangs in balance,” he rued.
When this scribe tried to contact Deepika K Sharma, the new Director Tourism Jammu, it was learnt that an appointment has to be requested via e-mail. This is applicable for tour-travel operators as well.
Raminder K Sanhotra, President, Jammu Katra Tourism Welfare Organisation, has alleged that concerned authorities sitting up high in hierarchy disapproved the officially approved event all of a sudden, when he went to meet them to seek redressal of their genuine issue.
“Also, we have been told that it is under Advisor’s observation, not categorically cancelled. But we don’t have anything in written,” said Raminder, adding that the roadshows are a way to include Jammu in the packages offered by travel agents, besides facilitating long-term mutual relation amongst tourism stakeholders.
The plan for about twelve domestic, four international roadshows, and two FAM tours was submitted by the Federation of Registered Travel Associations of Jammu (FRAJ) for the year 2019-2020, after having discussed with the tourism officials on ways to promote Jammu. It was marked by Rigzin Samphel, the then Secretary Tourism J&K, on 18th April, 2019, with a comment that said – ‘The proposal seems to be in line with our cultural activities. We must promote.’
FRAJ is a conglomeration of four registered tour and travel associations of Jammu – Travel Agents Association of Jammu (TAAJ), Association of Jammu Travel Agents (AJTA), Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (JKTDCL) Societies, and Jammu Kashmir Tourism Welfare Organisation (JKTWO).
Post putting off three such events scheduled for March 2019 at Dharamshala, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar, for lack of funds, a roadshow by TAAJ was finally allowed to be held at Lucknow. The roadshow at Kuala Lumpur, again by TAAJ, was the next in line and could have been a big boost to tourism in J&K, Jammu in particular.
“These roadshows were B2B events to promote Jammu at national and international levels, which sought involvement of tourism officials, ministries, ambassadors, high commissioners, tour-travel operators, and other stakeholders. We gave presentations, projected the picturesque locations, personally met the people and told them Jammu is a safe and visit worthy destination. It has evidently helped in increasing tourist footfall as well as modifying Jammu’s narrative for better,” remarked OP Bhagat.
He adds, “The presence of a government official along with the private travel agents at such platforms, especially in the maiden events, substantiates theirs as well as state’s credibility. If not me, some other official could go. Not only that, the aggrieved could have conducted the event sans the official, had the administration released the sponsorship amount.”
“The government sponsorship was amounted at Rs 20 lakhs, and the advance of Rs 10 lakhs was yet to be released. Until then, the association was working with whatever money it had,” said Jatinder while lamenting the huge losses he has suffered.
Raminder mentioned, “We can’t always depend on Kashmir tourism for survival, when it is so vulnerable. Thus, in the recent 3-4 years, we had been making efforts to promote Jammu as an independent tourist destination. But the approach of new authorities towards tour and travel operators of Jammu, tends to negate all the hard work that has been put in.”
Also: Read my article at THE NEWS NOW
Jammu’s maiden int’l roadshow nixed
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