Home to revered shrines, natural endowments, folk culture and lots more, Jammu division is one of the highest visited destinations in the country. It has considerable number of engaged followers on social media, has introduced activities and campaigns which have inspired dozens of others, and worked alongside different stakeholders to explore and promote region’s immense tourism potential.
In this excerpt, Naseem Javid Choudhary, JKAS, Director Tourism Jammu, talks about his plans for this industry. Read on.
- Congratulations on your new appointment as Director Tourism Jammu. How do you see this job?
Thank you. Stepping into this job is an exciting feat for any government official. It is an incredible opportunity to be able to do something remarkable for our place, such as promoting the underrated destinations.
- Considering that your previous appointment was as Secretary, J&K Sports Council, how distinct do you find both?
Sports and Tourism sectors are similar in some way. How good one at sports is, depends on how fit he/she is, and the same goes for adventure activities. Not to forget the physical activities involved in sports and tourism, such as rope climbing, long pilgrimages and so on.
Though, I have found visible difference in setup and working of government departments of sports and tourism. Tourism is about general public – your tourism audience, and the tourism dependent economy.
- Last year, the tourism industry was faced with the COVID-19 crisis, leading to adverse impact on footfall and consequently, the stakeholders and local economy. However, with time, restrictions were lifted and J&K was declared open for tourists.
Yes, that’s right. J&K was probably the first to open up to tourists, given the importance it holds in the local economy. Advertisements were issued, official handouts were distributed, and people were given assurance of safety with COVID protocols.
Since then, we have been organising various festivals and activities, such as Christmas Carnival, and Winter Carnival in Patnitop, Gandola festival in Jammu, etc, aimed at providing some source of revenue for local stakeholders, and instill confidence that tourism destinations here in J&K are safe to visit. The response to all of our events has been good so far.
Further, the department has collaborated with travel-tour operators and other stakeholders for ongoing country-wide B2B events like roadshows and travel mart. As such, tourism stakeholders from various states have started reaching out to the department with queries and offers.
- What does the future for Jammu Tourism look like under your able leadership?
The future is bright. One can gauge it from the fact that Shivratri Mela this year was extended to another religious site of Jammu, Purmandal, for the first time.
The government officials, who have served at this post prior to me, have taken several initiatives based on certain facts and figures. I will take them further, and those requiring completion, will be completed. A roadmap will be devised for short term and long term goals. We will work on intensifying our publicity and promotion campaign, after all, tourism encompasses our culture representation ranging from cuisines to clothes. The tourism activity calendar is currently being drafted, and might be revealed in April.
For the department, each and every site from Lakhanpur to Kishtwar holds importance. We wish to present J&K as a whole tourism package. We will be assessing sites for promotion, organising of adventure or other tourism activities. The government process of contacting experts, concerned authorities, seeking feasibility reports, and so on, does take some time.
Moreover, the intention is to make tourism industry in Jammu division an organized sector. We are planning to get in touch with Chamber of Commerce, in addition to travel-tour operators, tax operators, hoteliers, etc, so as to bring a sense of coordination in our efforts and messages.
Also: Read my article at The News Now
In conversation with Naseem Javid Choudhary
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