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News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
Jammu & Kashmir After Pahalgam Terror Attack: Centre's ‘High-Five' To Boost Tourism
Last Updated: The Centre has identified five focus areas to support locals as Jammu and Kashmir tourism has been hit in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, say top sources Amid the impact of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on tourism in Jammu and Kashmir – the primary source of income of the Union Territory – the Centre has identified five focus areas to support locals, said top sources. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, too, also made multiple appeals to the Centre for assistance to revive the state's fortunes. In Pahalgam to chair a cabinet meeting. We came to express solidarity with the local population. We've also come to thank all the tourists who are slowly making their way back to Kashmir & to Pahalgam. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 27, 2025 A look at the five focus areas: 1. Better promotion: Various steps will be taken to reassure the public, using celebrities, influencers, and top political leaders, that India has responded decisively to Pakistan and that security forces are vigilant. Therefore, there is no reason for concern when travelling to the region. Several central ministers are expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the coming weeks. The source also stated, 'Many foreign delegations have approached India after the Pahalgam attack expressing their willingness to visit Jammu and Kashmir for meetings. This will significantly boost confidence-building measures." 2. Identifying Tourist Destinations: Beyond the usual tourist hotspots like Gulmarg and Pahalgam, the government is keen to identify other potential destinations to expand tourism in the state. The source added, 'We have identified at least three to four new destinations in both Jammu and Kashmir to diversify tourism offerings." 3. Financial Assistance: The Centre is also engaging with institutions like the World Bank to promote these new destinations and develop necessary infrastructure. 4. Supporting J&K: With the regional economy, significantly impacted by cancellations following the Pahalgam attack, the Centre is committed to supporting the state. This includes considering financial assistance if required. 5. Developing Untapped Areas: The government is also exploring the promotion of various untapped areas with significant potential in Jammu and Kashmir. This includes promoting religious tourism, adventure tourism, etc. 'Many significant places have been overlooked and hold immense potential. For example, numerous ancient temples located in secluded areas could become focal points for religious tourism," the source explained. My honour and Privilege to share some time with the real heros & brave hearts ! What a beautiful evening 🙏🏻🇮🇳 — Huma Qureshi (@humasqureshi) May 28, 2025 Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir's tourism sector has experienced significant growth. Between 2021 and 2024, the Jammu division consistently attracted more tourists than the Kashmir Valley. In 2024, for instance, Jammu welcomed over 20 million tourists, while Kashmir received approximately 3.5 million visitors. First Published:
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
RJD MP Manoj Jha urges Centre to prioritise tourist safety in J-K
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): After Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the need for coordination between the Centre, the J-K government, and LG for security operations, RJD MP Manoj Jha on Thursday stated that the security of the tourists should remain the topmost priority for all stakeholders, underlining that the Centre should conduct an open dialogue to address the issues of the territory. Speaking to ANI, Jha said, 'If you see, J-K is not a state yet. The Centre should talk about all issues (regarding J-K) openly, and it should not become a Centre vs state thing, but the safety of the tourists should be the topmost priority.' This comes after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the need for coordination between three power centres--the elected government, the Union Government, and the Lieutenant Governor's office--to ensure security and law and order in the region after the Pahalgam terror attack. Earlier on Wednesday, J-K CM Abdullah pointed out that the security of tourists currently resides within the powers of the Lieutenant Governor. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Abdullah said, 'The fact is that security and law and order are not the responsibility of the elected government. Whose responsibility is it? The Lieutenant are three sets of power centres that need to coordinate to ensure that things go smoothly here... I can promote tourism; I can create infrastructure for tourism... However, the security of the tourists currently resides within the powers of the Lieutenant Governor. That is the point I made that the Union Government, elected government, and Raj Bhavan need to work together to ensure that what happened on 22nd April doesn't happen again...' On April 22, in a dastardly attack, terrorists killed 26 people, including one Nepali citizen, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The attack was one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed. CM Abdullah exhorted that his government is making efforts to restore normalcy in the region, for which the government itself has been conducting meetings here. To restore normalcy in the region, Abdullah has directed the Education Minister to resume picnics in schools and colleges and encourage visits to popular tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam. He also chaired meetings to discuss the situation and plan for the future. He asserted, 'Everything was stopped after April 22. Before people from all over the country come here, we should come first here. Hence, a cabinet meeting was called in Pahalgam yesterday and today a meeting of administrative secretaries and senior department heads was held...I have directed the Education Minister to ensure that picnics are resumed in schools and colleges and visits to Gulmarg and Pahalgam are made to move towards normalcy...' (ANI)
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Tour operators from Maha, Gujarat on solidarity visit to Kashmir
A 70-member delegation of various tour operators from across India have converged in Kashmir with the J&K government facilitating the visit as part of its efforts to bring back tourists to Kashmir after the flight of visitors out of the valley following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. With chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah holding two back to back cabinet meetings in tourist resorts of Pahalgam and Gulmarg on Tuesday and Wednesday and pushing for tourism revival in the Valley, the group of some 26 major tour and travel operators from Maharashtra and Gujarat is on a solidarity visit to Kashmir. This is the first group of tour operators from outside J&K to visit the Valley after the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam in which 25 tourists and a local man lost their lives. The delegation went to Pahalgam where they met CM Omar Abdullah on Tuesday and also interacted with local tourism stakeholders on Wednesday. President of Maharashtra Tour Organisers' Association Vishvajeet Patil said that they wanted to bring back the charm of valley tourism. 'We are a 70-member delegation who have come from Mumbai and Gujarat which include some big travel agents and associations. Yesterday we met CM Omar Abdullah. There was a good interaction on how we can bring back the charm of Kashmir, so that the tourists return. Today we were also very happy to meet local stakeholders like horse and taxi owners,' Patil said. Kashmir witnessed an exodus of tourists immediately after the Pahalgam attack. The Kashmir tourism players say that after the attack, there was an instant cancellation of 80% booking and then after the war like situation between India and Pakistan in May, the cancellations peaked to 95%. Before the attack, the valley witnessed record breaking tourist footfall for the past three years. Another tour operator, Satish, said that they have decided to promote Kashmir in their respective places. 'We met all stakeholders, including hoteliers, and since tourism is very low from the past month in Pahalgam, we have decided to promote Kashmir. After every up and down like Pulwama or Article 370, Maharashtra Tour Operators Association was like a rock with their Kashmir counterparts and will continue to do that,' he said. After meeting the delegation on Tuesday in Pahalgam, Omar extended his heartfelt gratitude to them. 'I thank each one of you for coming to Pahalgam and supporting the revival of tourism. I recognise many of you as those who reignited tourism in the Valley during the most challenging times — when even the locals feared venturing out,' he said. Omar, on Wednesday, also expressed hope that the delegation's visit will helped revive Kashmir tourism. 'They came here on their own will. I or our department can't take its credit. They contacted us and said they want to come.I am thankful for their visit and hope that their visit is beneficial for us,' he said. Vishvajeet Patil said that it was just a matter of time that tourism revives in Kashmir but exuded hope that successful Amarnath Yatra will resume footfall of tourists again into Kashmir.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
After Pahalgam, Gulmarg: Omar urges Centre to curb ‘boycott Kashmir campaign'
Day after holding a Cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah conducted a review meeting in Gulmarg, another prominent tourist destination in the state, on Wednesday to send a message that his government is ready to open 'Jammu and Kashmir for tourism again'. The Chief Minister urged the Centre to step in to stop the 'boycott Kashmir' campaign saying people of J&K are being punished despite them coming out to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack. While reiterating that the three power centres — elected government, Raj Bhawan and the Centre — have to work together to ensure such attacks don't happen again, Omar once again pitched for statehood saying the conversation on the demand has not stopped. Later in the day, the CM took a ride on a Gondola cable car to Kongdoori in the upper reaches of Gulmarg. 'A message should go from here that we are opening Jammu and Kashmir for tourism again,' Omar said, talking to the reporters after the meeting. 'It is obvious that after the 22nd April, everything came to a halt. People should come here again, for this I held a Cabinet meeting in Pahalgam yesterday (Tuesday) and a meeting of administrative secretaries in Gulmarg today (Wednesday). Our effort is to create a buzz at least, create publicity'. Omar said he has asked the Education minister to bring the schoolchildren to Gulmarg and Pahalgam for picnics so that 'we start to move towards normalcy'. Omar, once again, batted for re-opening of the tourist destinations that were closed for the tourists and the locals after the Pahalgam attack. 'I know, we were forced to take such steps,' he said. 'But if we have to see the revival of tourism, we will have to slowly review this (decision)'. The UT government had issued several circulars barring the valley schools from going to picnic spots on weekdays and allowed on other days only after seeking permission from the government, which has created anger in the Valley. Responding to a question of 'Kashmir boycott' calls from certain quarters, Omar said the Centre must step in to stop it. 'There is a big difference between the earlier attacks and this (Pahalgam) attack. This time the people spontaneously came out and condemned it. No political, social or religious leader can claim credit for this (spontaneous protests in J&K over the Pahalgam incident),' Omar said. 'Even after this, if you punish them, call for a boycott, forgive me, who will come out to condemn, if god forbid, such an attack happens again. Even after condemning this, if we are still seen as being responsible, what can we do? The Central government shouldn't ignore it, they should use their agencies to stop this campaign,' Omar said. He, however, said that the demand for the return of statehood has not stopped. 'If you see the formal speech that was circulated in the NITI Ayog meeting, you will see a categorical mention of the return of statehood. The conversation on statehood has not been stalled,' he said. 'The only thing is that I was unwilling to use the special session of the Assembly to ask for statehood but that doesn't mean the conversation has stopped'. At Gulmarg, Omar reviewed the performance of different departments. Besides the cabinet ministers, the meeting was attended by top civil and police officers. At the meeting, Omar told the officers that during the NITI Ayog meeting, he urged the Centre that the meetings of parliamentary consultative committee, parliamentary standing committee and that of public sector undertakings should be held in J&K to help revive tourism. Some of the Union ministers gave a positive response to his appeal, he said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Omar Abdullah renews call for J&K statehood
Omar Abdullah SRINAGAR: CM Omar Abdullah renewed Wednesday demand for restoring statehood to J&K, saying political discourse around reversing Union territory status remains active and ongoing. 'Conversation around statehood hasn't died down,' Omar said after chairing a meeting of administrative secretaries in Gulmarg. 'A recent Niti Aayog document, also shared with the PM and members of Aayog, categorically mentioned restoring statehood to J&K. ' Omar, however, opposed the suggestion of convening a special assembly session to push the demand. 'That's the only point I disagreed on,' he said. Parliament repealed Article 370 on Aug 5, 2019, ending J&K's special status, and govt restructured the region into two Union territories — including Ladakh. Regional parties widely opposed the move and restoration has remained a consistent political demand in J&K. Omar also pushed efforts to revive tourism in Kashmir following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that halted visitor activity across the region. 'Tourism stopped completely after April 22. Before expecting tourists from rest of country, we must go ourselves,' he said, referencing back-to-back official meetings in Pahalgam and Gulmarg this week. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He urged schools and colleges to resume excursions to tourist spots 'to move a little towards normalcy'. Omar also demanded investigation into rising calls on social media to boycott Kashmir, calling such campaigns unjustified. 'People of J&K strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack. After April 22, Kashmiris came out saying loudly, 'Not in our name',' he said. He urged Union govt to deploy intelligence agencies to trace origins of boycott calls. 'The attack wasn't carried out by Kashmiris, nor did anyone force tourists out. If, even after that, blame continues, what more are Kashmiris expected to do?' he asked. The CM highlighted need for coordination among three 'power centres' — J&K's elected govt, LG's office, and Union government — to ensure safety. 'I can build infrastructure and promote tourism, but security is under LG's jurisdiction,' he said. 'We must collaborate so April 22 doesn't repeat.'
