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| Hospitality and best service to tourists is essential:Omar | | 
Srinagar, May 13 (Scoop News) – J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that best service and hospitality to tourists is essentially required to make them visit again and again to this place. He said that while befitting infrastructure is important for comfortable stay of tourists in the State, the quality service delivery is essentially significant for this purpose.
Chairing the State Tourism Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting here, Omar Abdullah asked the concerned department to come up with a comprehensive Tourism Development Policy taking all stakeholders on board. This, he said, would govern and guide growth of tourism alongwith taking necessary care for protecting and conserving environment and ecology in the State.
The Chief Minister said that all residents of Jammu and Kashmir are equal partners in the process of revival of tourist glory in the State adding that peace and tranquillity holds key to groom and grow this economically core sector of development.
“Balanced approach has to be taken to rope in tourists from within the country and abroad”, he said adding that the tourist market for Kashmir in South-East Asia, Middle-East, Gulf countries and Germany need to be harnessed in full besides working for attracting tourists from other foreign countries.
The Chief Minister said that government is making all endeavours to help holistic development of tourism by encouraging adventure, sports, pilgrim and conventional tourism in the State and help creation of up to the mark infrastructure with the aim to generate economic activities and expand job market for youth. He said that the private players associated with this industry have to substantiate government efforts so that the stupendous goals are achieved in this sector.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, Commissioner Secretary Tourism, Atal Dullo, various senior officers and representatives of various associations and chambers connected with tourism, trade and travel.
In a PowerPoint presentation made by Atal Dullo, it was stated that over 13 lakh visitors visited Kashmir Valley during the year 2012 while the number of Yatris visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi was over 103 lakhs. Besides, more than 6.21 lakh pilgrims visited Shri Amarnath and Ladakh received more than 1.79 lakh visitors.
It was stated that more than Rs. 383 crores have been sanctioned for various development projects in tourism sector by the Omar Abdullah-led government during the last four years and 66 such projects have been completed during this period. As many as 23 rural tourism projects have been completed out of 29 such projects started at a cost of about Rs. 19 crores. The remaining 6 projects are likely to be completed during the current financial year while 24 more such projects are in the pipeline. For Mubarak Mandi conservation project Rs. 50 crores have been sanctioned.
In the mega tourism development sector work is going apace on Trans-Himalayan Cultural Centre at Leh involving Rs. 22.43 crores, Nagaar-Nagar-Watlab project in Kashmir costing over Rs. 38 crores and conservation and restoration of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex.
Three more mega projects of Sufi Circuit in Kashmir, Spiritual Circuit in Jammu and Buddhist Circuit for Leh, each involving Rs. 50 crores have been prepared and submitted to Government of India for funding.
In order to give boost to tourist activities, the State Government provides 30 percent capital out right investment subsidy on the fixed assets including cost of land for new tourism units with upper ceiling of Rs. 30 lakhs. It also provides subsidy upto 40 percent of the total cost of conversion of private houses into paying guest houses subject to the ceiling of Rs. 2 lakh in each case. For adventure tourism 50 percent subsidy subject to maximum of Rs. 7 lakhs is being given as one time incentive while 50 percent subsidy for purchase and replacement of new tourist coaches upto the maximum of 7 lakh is also available to the transport permit holders while 75 percent subsidy is also available to the hoteliers on purchase of DG sets subject to the maximum of Rs. 4 lakh.
The government has also extended concession on hotel tariff tax by one year besides reducing VAT on sale of cooked food items from 13.5 to 5 percent. Various sports, cultural, adventure and other events where held within the State to promote tourism while as participation in road shows, rallies and marts was made within and outside the country to showcase Jammu and Kashmir Tourism.
For the capacity building programme about 10,000 youth have been trained under ‘Hunar-se-Rozgar’ programme during the last four years. Of these, about 5,000 have already been absorbed in the tourism industry. During the next four years more than 25,000 youth will be imparted training under this programme.
The meeting discussed action taken report on the outcome of the last meeting of Tourism Advisory Committee, It also took stock of the promotion and publicity campaign in place to attract more and more tourists and showcase Jammu and Kashmir tourism potential internationally. Matters relating to the finalization of revised master plans for tourist areas, launch of projects under PPP mode, Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model and operation of morning and evening flights from Srinagar were also discussed in the meeting.
The representatives of various associations of tourism industry highlighted different issues pertaining to their welfare and the development of tourism in the State.
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