With an increasing footfall of domestic and foreign visitors, tourism in Jammu and Kashmir is scaling new heights, making the Union Territory one of top destinations in the country. Year on year and month on month, we have received more tourists this year compared to previous year.
The natural beauty and picturesque locations have made it a favoured destination for tourists across the world. Jammu is famous for its temples, while Kashmir Valley is known for its lakes and gardens. J&K has agro-climatic conditions best suited for horticulture and floriculture.
Tourism industry has become a very fastest growing industry in the modern period. It is recognized as an important “tiger” industry for the first decade of the current century. Tourism does not produce goods, but it is mainly a service industry and extends services to different classes of people. It consists of the activities undertaken through travel from home or workplace for the pleasure and enjoyment of certain destinations, and the facilities that cater to the needs of the tourists.
Travel and tourism have been important social activities of human beings from time immemorial. The urge to discover new places within one’s own country or outside and try to find a change of environment has been practiced from ancient times. Almost in every economy of the world, tourism sector plays a vital role in the contribution of generating revenue, employment opportunities and in economy’s GDP.
It provides opportunities to local populace to increase their living standards by increasing employment opportunities. According to the estimates from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in 2011, tourism generates around 270.7 million jobs globally and accounts for over 10% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It also plays key role in cross-cultural exchange of the two cultures.
It helps to learn about different languages, life styles and tradition. It provides opportunities to adopt the qualities of different cultures vice-versa, as tourists are also bound to cause positive affects among the local population by introducing new life styles and progressively promoting social, cultural and religious disruptions. Tourism serves as a means of conserving the cultural heritage of the local area which otherwise might be lost due to development. It provides scope for conserving local dance, art, craft, music, drama, dress and old historic monuments.
Jammu and Kashmir is geographically a unique place with three different regions i.e. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal husbandry, Forestry and Tourism are the main source of economy and among all industries, tourism is an important industry in the UT. Tourism is considered to be economic bonanza for Jammu and Kashmir because industrial development is very limited to hilly terrains.
The tourism in J&K offers a wide array of places to see. The delighting backwaters, hill stations and landscape make J&K a beautiful tourist destination. Historical monuments, forts, places of religious importance, hill resorts, etc. add to the grandeur of the UT as it attract tourists from all over the world.
Tourism has now become a significant industry in J&K, contributing enormously to the economy of the region and providing employment to a large number of people. Being a labor-intensive industry, the scope of employment is very vast. Tourism is regarded as multi-segmented industry, therefore provides different types of jobs like hotel managers, receptionists, guides, tour operators, travel agents, photographers & many other jobs which are required to strengthen the tourism.
Additionally, J&K is also likely to become a major hub for medical tourism if timely steps are taken by the government authorities to exploit this opportunity as well. It is bestowed with beauty & rich forests, natural lakes, fresh water as is known all over the world for its beautiful valleys, lakes, snowcapped peaks, invigorating climate, valleys, cool climate, opportunities for trekking fishing, skiing& number of archaeological, historical, cultural & religious places, cool climate & hospitable people.
Jammu and Kashmir especially Kashmir valley offers various categories of tourism. These include adventure tourism, medical tourism, water rafting, skiing, religious tourism, etc. Jammu and Kashmir has a composite culture. There is a harmonious blend of art, religion and philosophy. Religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism etc. has co-existed in J&K since hundreds of years.
Jammu and Kashmir has tremendous potential in tourism sector. The scope of large scale industrial development is very limited. Tourism being a labour intensive industry provides a very vast scope for employment opportunities. The employment opportunities provided by this industry are comparatively higher than other industries. Tourism is regarded multi-segmental industry; therefore, it provides different types of jobs like hotel managers, receptionists, accountants, clerks, guides, travel agents, chefs, transport operators etc. The UT of Jammu and Kashmir offers a very large number of marketable products.
While looking from tourist point of view, each district of the Union Territory has so much to offer such as: Vast Natural Resources, Adventure Tourism (River Rafting, Mountain climbing), Numerous Trekking routes, Pilgrimage Tourism (Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist), Wildlife Tourism, Heritage Tourism, Springs, Festivals and Cultural activities, Handicrafts etc. seeking an alternative for economic development and contribution in employment generation, tourism can be regarded as a viable source of economic development in the region.
Regarding tourist destinations of the J&K, one can analyze that the region has potential for: The growth of tourism in Jammu & Kashmir shows that the industry has registered an all-round substantial development in the UT during the last two -three decades, most of the potential, for its growth has not yet been exploited and much more is left to be desired.
The new tourism policy of J&K is giving a big thrust to tourism-related infrastructure – improving the existing tourist infrastructure and creating infrastructure at 75 new tourist destinations being developed by J&K Tourism. On the anvil are 75 new sufi/religious sites, 75 new cultural and heritage sites and 75 new tracks.
The J&K government is giving a big push to film tourism. Under the new tourism policy, a single-window facility has been provided to promote film shootings in J&K besides offering a whole gamut of facilities including OB Vans, houseboats, shooting equipment and post- production facilities to Indian and foreign film crews.
On the road connectivity front, Rs 1 lakh crore has already been invested in road infrastructure and 6912 km of road network has been constructed under PMGSY in the last three years. The 670 km long Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield expressway is set for December 2024 completion. The 250-km long Jammu-Srinagar 4-lane highway being built at the cost of Rs 16000 crore, will be completed by 2025. This all-weather road will link Kashmir with the rest of the country, reducing the road journey between Jammu and Srinagar to 4-5 hours.
(The author is a regular columnist and can be mailed at [email protected])
