Sustainable tourism key to J&K’s future: CM’s Advisor

Srinagar, Jul 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, on Thursday said Jammu and Kashmir must shift its focus from tourism promotion to sustainable tourism, warning that unregulated growth could damage destinations and threaten the sector’s long-term future.
Addressing a conclave on sustainable tourism at SKICC here, Wani said the rise in tourist arrivals has brought greater responsibility to preserve destinations.
“We have achieved remarkable success in tourism promotion, but now we must preserve our destinations. If we fail to protect them, we risk losing both our identity and tourist footfall,” he said.
He called for the preparation and timely implementation of realistic master plans for tourist destinations, saying delays have resulted in unregulated construction and infrastructure gaps.
Wani said the government should develop new tourism destinations instead of concentrating visitors at a few traditional hotspots.
“We should identify and develop greenfield destinations with proper road connectivity and infrastructure so that tourist flow is distributed across Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Wani stressed that tourism infrastructure must include adequate parking, food courts, public amenities and designated spaces for local stakeholders such as pony owners, guides and vendors.
Highlighting the growing waste burden at tourist spots, Wani said scientific garbage disposal systems are essential to preserve the Valley’s natural assets.
He also pitched for regulating the carrying capacity of tourist destinations and improving traffic management to prevent congestion.
Referring to the increasing number of private vehicles entering J&K from outside, Wani suggested introducing user charges to regulate traffic and generate revenue for tourism infrastructure.
“The number of outside vehicles has increased significantly. It is time to regulate this through user charges so that congestion is reduced and revenue is generated for better infrastructure,” he said.
He also called for training programmes for hotel staff, taxi drivers, pony owners and other tourism stakeholders to strengthen Kashmir’s traditional hospitality.
“Our hospitality has always been our biggest strength. We need to train everyone associated with tourism so that every visitor leaves with a memorable experience and returns again,” he said.
He also expressed hope that collective efforts would make Jammu and Kashmir the cleanest and most sustainable tourist destination in the country. (KNO)