Dir Tourism reviews issues confronting tourism sector with stakeholders

Srinagar, May 25: Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Dr. G N Itoo took a detailed review of the issues confronting tourism stakeholders in the current COVID situation in a consultative meeting with representatives of various tourism trade bodies here Tuesday.
The Director, Tourism informed the tourism stakeholders that the J&K Government has classified tourism stakeholders as frontline workers alongwith workers of other critical sectors.
Dr. Itoo informed the meeting that the vaccination process for the members of the tourism sector aged between 18 to 44 years has started from today at TRC, Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Today 871 jabs( Gulmarg-421, TRC, Srinagar-203 and Pahalgam-247) were administered among the staff of hotels, guest houses, travel agencies, Restaurants, Houseboats and shikarawallas.
The vaccination drive would continue for four days to cover all the eligible tourism stakeholders.
To oversee the vaccination process a special cell has been set up in the Tourism Department and Nodal Officers have been deployed for smoothly administering the vaccination doses.
The Director Tourism further informed the tourism stakeholders that the Department has planned a capacity building programme for the members of tourism trade to cope up with the post COVID situation. The programme, he informed, would commence from the coming days.
On a specific query of the tourism stakeholders, the Director Tourism, Kashmir informed the meeting that the Department is planning to upscale Sonmarg as a winter tourist destination for which necessary steps are being taken by the Department at various levels.
Dr. Itoo also assured the tourism stakeholders of sympathetic consideration on all other issues raised by them.
Representatives of various trade bodies from segments like hotels, restaurants, guest houses, travel agencies, Houseboats, bathing boats, motor boats and shikarawallas attended the meeting.