Friday, February 19, 2021
The Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel said that there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir. He also added that in January 2020, 3,750 people visited Srinagar, while the number went up to 19,000 in January 2021.
Increase in tourists in Jammu and Kashmir is a sign of tourism revival after the corona virus pandemic, said Minister Patel on Thursday.
Speaking at the inauguration of the third India Tourism Mart, held by the Federation of Associations in India Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), Patel said that the data indicates that tourists visited Srinagar and Jammu in more numbers in January compared to the same period last year.
“There has been a continuous negative discourse on the effect of tourism in J&K due to the abrogation of Article 370. The data that is coming this year negates these claims. Some other states like Goa have also started showing signs of recovery, while states like Maharashtra and Kerala are still not open. We have to promote domestic tourism as international travel will be restricted for some time,” Mr. Patel said.
Patel praised the tourism sector for its flexibility and urged hotels, service providers and others involved with the tourism sector to get themselves registered on portals like SAATHI and Nidhi.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also addressed the gathering and expressed his appreciation regarding participation of more than 250 delegates from 60 countries who attended the event virtually.
Harsh Vardhan said, “This third India Tourism Mart holds even more significance as it is being organized at a time when the world is emerging from the dark clouds of the pandemic and countries all across the world are contemplating on opening up travel albeit with all health and security precautions in place. India has embarked on the world’s largest immunization program against Covid-19. We have not only vaccinated over 8.5 million people in India but have also sent millions of doses to other countries seeking our help.”
Regarding developments in the healthcare facilities, the minister said that while India is always a popular tourist destination, it has also emerged as a leading destination for medical tourism over the last few years.
To boost it further, the government has already started issuing medical visas and is planning to restart e-tourist visas soon, as well as scheduled international flights.
Tags: jammu and kashmir
