SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday directed the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department to leverage Virtual Reality (VR) technology and targeted marketing strategies to enhance the region’s tourism profile and attract greater visitor engagement.
Chairing a review meeting on tourism promotion, Abdullah emphasised immersive digital experiences at national and international travel marts, stating that VR-enabled walk-throughs of destinations would create strong recall value and generate increased tourist interest.
The Chief Minister instructed the department to prepare an advance annual calendar of events for improved planning and coordination, and called for high-quality, meaningful designs and presentations at all promotional platforms to reflect the true potential of JK tourism.
Omar also directed focused publicity campaigns at airports with high tourist footfall, including Jaipur, Udaipur and Goa, and asked the department to identify the top ten airports nationwide for targeted advertising.
The meeting highlighted initiatives for the Kashmir Marathon, urging early finalisation of dates, incentivised participation with a wide spread of prizes, and the introduction of themed short-distance runs such as a “Tulip Run” in spring and a “Chrysanthemum Run” in autumn. Omar also recommended securing a title sponsor for the marathon, following the model of major events like the Delhi and Mumbai Marathons.
Earlier, the Tourism Department presented its 2025 publicity achievements, noting high-impact digital campaigns through social media, short videos, reels, and airport screens. The department reported surpassing 10 lakh followers online, a 300 percent growth in engagement, and over four million views across platforms.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Tourism Ashish Chander Verma, Managing Director of JK Tourism Development Corporation, Directors of Tourism Kashmir and Jammu, and other senior officials.
