Jammu has for long been the neglected part of the state ofJammu and Kashmir. However, now Jammu Tourism is pushing the destination,not only for spiritual travel, but also MICE, adventure, entertainment, and eco-tourism, says Priya Sethi.
How has been 2016-17 in terms of tourist footfall in Jammu and Kashmir? What is the ratio of domestic and international tourists?
During the Navratri festivity (Hindu festival), close to 40,000 people visited the holy shrines in Jammu, each day this year. Apart from this season, between 10-20 million people visit the state all the year round.
Jammu mostly offers domestic tourism and international tourists have not much explored the destination but we have started mapping about 15 tracks and best hotels, so that the state is prepared to welcome foreign tourists as well.
What draws tourists here? Can you talk about some lesser-known destinations for the tourists to explore?
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is a region with ample of temples, mosques, shrines and religious places to visit but apart from religious tourism, Jammu offers other options as well. For MICE tourism, we have good places for convocations and other such events.
For adventure lovers, we have beautiful adventurous spots for all-year round rafting and paragliding; which are often left unexplored.
Jammu is amongst the unexplored destinations, so we are promoting Jammu to highlight scenic destinations like Bhadrawah, Patnitop, Sanasar, and the entire Chenab region.
The state also has beautiful natural settings for wedding destinations, some of which can be mapped at Gulmarg, Pehel gaon and Bhadrawah. We also welcome Bollywood crews for shooting films, videos or documentaries and the Jammu government is very open to provide logistics free of cost for these activities.
This story is from the November - December 2017 edition of India & You.
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This story is from the November - December 2017 edition of India & You.
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