SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has announced a “single window” for project clearance in a time-bound manner to fast-track approvals for laying high-end tourism infrastructure in the state.
“There is a need to promote ‘Business with Ease’ and the Single Window will facilitate creation of high-end facilities with global benchmarks,” Sayeed said, chairing a high level meeting here.
He said his government would remove hurdles to facilitate brand tie-ups so that high-end intake capacity of the state, which is presently low is substantially increased to draw overseas and top-class domestic visitors to the state.
“A high-powered Committee will be framed that will facilitate creation of brand infrastructure to attract international tourist footfall to the state,” he said.
Asking for a concerted effort to promote J&K as a top-class golf destination with week-end and week-long packages, the Chief Minister called for an organized publicity campaign to promote golf tourism in the state.
“We already have golf circuits at Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sidhra. We are exploring possibilities of laying new courses at Sonamarg, Sanasar and Yusmarg for which feasibility reports are being prepared,” Sayeed said, adding Kashmir Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the country, will also be refurbished to attract golf lovers.
He urged the top stakeholders in tourism industry to employ local youth in their hospitality and human resource divisions, saying expansion of tourism infrastructure would create countless employment opportunities in the services sector.
“Our youth are greatly talented in HR and Hospitality segments and I am sure they will do a fairly good job at the cutting-edge level,” he asserted.
In a bid to dovetail exquisite Kashmiri cuisines with the tourism industry, the Chief Minister asked for branding the food industry of Kashmir by opening a series of restaurants catering to the select market.
“Institute of Hotel Management at Srinagar has the potential to vastly improve the food services sector that can supplement our travel industry,” he said stressing upon the need for organizing more food festivals across the country to showcase the state’s famed recipes like ‘Wazwan’.
The chief minister said he has prioritized the finalization of the master-plans of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and other resorts so that development and improvement of resort infrastructure is taken up in a planned way without disturbing the ambience of the surrounding environment.
“We have to sell tourism as a wholesome package to high-end visitors as footfall from outside will considerably increase our internal revenue generation,” he added.
During the meeting, the chief minister was shown two presentations by Ahad Hotels and Resorts, ITC and Sarovar Group of Hotels, aimed at upgrading tour and travel infrastructure in the state in tune with international standards.
Ahad Group of Hotels, in collaboration with ITC, is establishing a new chain of high-quality five-star hotels while Sarovar Group is planning to open high-end luxury hotels to improve intake capacity of top-class visitors in the state.
Hotel Nedou’s at Srinagar is also being developed as a world-class heritage hotel and the work on the project is expected to start soon. -PTI
