SRINAGAR: Several leading hotel chains are set to expand their footprint in Jammu and Kashmir, with Radisson Hotels Group announcing plans to increase its presence in the region. The announcement was made at a high-level meeting in New Delhi, attended by key stakeholders in the tourism sector, including the Commissioner Secretary to the Government, Tourism Department, J&K, Yasha Mudgal, and the President of the Hotel Association of India (HAI), K B Kachru.
Ms Mudgal emphasised the importance of private-public partnerships in boosting tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. She highlighted that private investments have played a significant role in developing high-quality hotels, restaurants, and infrastructure projects such as ropeways and roads. With the upcoming launch of train services to Kashmir, she noted that the region is set to witness a major surge in tourist arrivals, necessitating further expansion of quality accommodations, a statement issued by the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry Jammu Region Chapter said.
Mr Kachru, who is also Chairman, South Asia, Radisson Hotels Group, revealed that the company already operates several hotels in Jammu and Kashmir—five in Kashmir and three in Jammu—and is committed to further expansion. As President of HAI, he pledged to encourage other domestic and international hospitality brands, including Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), Lalit, IHG, Marriott, and Lemon Tree, to establish new properties in the Union Territory.
He recalled Jammu and Kashmir’s historical significance as a tourism hub, particularly in the film industry, and expressed optimism that the improved connectivity, including direct train operations to Kashmir and better national highway infrastructure, would lead to record-breaking tourist numbers. HAI, he said, will work closely with the Jammu and Kashmir government to position key destinations and push for infrastructure development in luxury, midscale, and religious tourism circuits.
Other stakeholders at the meeting, including the President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, and Chairman of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jammu Region Chapter, Rakesh Wazir, and Director of Tourism Jammu, Vikas Gupta, also highlighted the rapid transformation of various tourist destinations and proposed initiatives to further boost tourism.
Ms Mudgal concluded the meeting by assuring that this was just the beginning of a series of discussions aimed at translating these ideas into concrete actions for the advancement of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
