SRINAGAR: Director of Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajad, on Thursday said the government has begun consultations with tourism stakeholders to formulate a long-term strategy for sustainable tourism development while safeguarding the region’s fragile natural resources.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a one-day tourism conclave at SKICC, Sajad said the event marked the beginning of a comprehensive roadmap that will be developed in collaboration with tourism trade bodies and officials managing destinations across Jammu and Kashmir.
The proposed framework, he said, will focus on promoting tourism while ensuring environmental conservation, stressing that Kashmir’s natural resources remain the region’s biggest attraction for visitors.
Highlighting the challenges posed by climate change, Sajad said global warming is a worldwide phenomenon and Jammu and Kashmir must play its part through sustained environmental initiatives.
He said the Forest, Tourism and Education departments are actively involved in plantation drives, adding that the aim is to plant multiple trees for every tree felled to help protect the environment and mitigate the effects of global warming.
On tourist arrivals, Sajad said nearly 95 per cent of visitors to Jammu and Kashmir this year have been domestic tourists. While foreign tourist arrivals declined due to the conflict in the Middle East, he said the numbers are now showing signs of recovery.
“I do not have the latest figures, but overall, the tourism sector is witnessing a positive trend,” he added. (KNO)
