Rs 7,647 lakh spent on J&K Tourism promotion in 2 years: Govt

Jammu, Feb 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that more than Rs 7,647 lakh has been spent on the promotion of tourism across the Jammu and Kashmir divisions during the financial years 2024–25 and 2025–26.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Yudhvir Sethi, the Tourism Department, said that in Jammu Division, an expenditure of Rs 1,619.73 lakh was incurred in 2024–25, while Rs 1,281.55 lakh has been spent in 2025–26 so far.
In Kashmir Division, the department spent Rs 1,400.16 lakh during 2024–25 and Rs 1,346.20 lakh in the current financial year till January 2026.
The government said several initiatives have been undertaken to restore traveller confidence and increase tourist footfall across the Union Territory. These include aggressive digital marketing, social media campaigns and publicity through print and electronic media.
The department has also participated in 10 national and international travel marts to showcase Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism potential.
To generate positive publicity, Bollywood celebrities were invited for familiarisation (FAM) tours in the Jammu Division between June 28–30 and July 2–6, 2025, during which they interacted with local stakeholders.
The government further informed the House that winter sports events were organised at Bhaderwah on January 17–18, 2026, while another event was scheduled at Sartal on February 8, 2026. A budget of Rs 300 lakh has been sanctioned for the development of winter sports infrastructure at Bhaderwah and Basohli/Sartal during 2025–26.
In addition, 78 promotional events have been organised across the Jammu region, including campaigns through hoardings, newspapers, radio and social media, to promote Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra and other tourist destinations, the government added. (KNO)