Over 23.5 Million Tourists Visited J&K in 2024: CM Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, March 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday said that tourism remains a crucial pillar of the region’s economy, significantly contributing to employment generation and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the Minister In-charge of Tourism, informed the Assembly that 23,590,081 tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2024, marking a steady increase in footfall.

Responding to a question by MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar in the Assembly, Omar Abdullah stated that the tourism sector provides both direct and indirect livelihood opportunities to hotel staff, tour operators, taxi drivers, souvenir vendors, and local youth. He emphasized that the government is committed to expanding tourism to ensure a larger economic impact across various sectors.

The Chief Minister highlighted the government’s efforts to diversify tourism by promoting adventure tourism, heritage tourism, pilgrimage tourism, golf tourism, eco-tourism, and cultural tourism. He said the Tourism Department has been conducting national and international campaigns to market J&K’s destinations. Additionally, the government is focusing on developing offbeat tourist spots such as Gurez, Keran, Bungus, Tosamaidan, Aharbal, Doodhpathri, Machail, Bhaderwah, Sukrala Mata, and Pancheri to attract more visitors.

Providing official statistics, Omar Abdullah revealed that Jammu and Kashmir saw a significant increase in tourist numbers over the last two years. In 2023, the UT recorded 21,180,011 tourist arrivals, which surged to 23,590,081 in 2024. He attributed this rise to sustained government initiatives, including infrastructure upgrades and promotional campaigns.

Speaking about infrastructure development, the Chief Minister informed the House that a series of projects have been initiated to enhance tourism-related facilities. In 2022-23, a total of 984 projects were taken up, out of which 549 were completed. In 2023-24, 1,191 projects were initiated, with 516 completed. For the ongoing financial year 2024-25, 1,914 projects have been taken up so far, and 1,057 have been completed. These initiatives focus on improving road connectivity, upgrading tourist facilities, and enhancing accommodations in key destinations to ensure a better experience for visitors.

Responding to another question by Ali Mohammad Sagar, the Chief Minister clarified that there is no proposal under consideration for constituting a Tourism Development Board for the Dal Lake peripheries. Areas such as Nishat Garden, Shalimar, Harwan, Chashmashahi, and Pari Mahal do not have any such board planned at present.

Omar Abdullah, however, assured that the government remains committed to strengthening tourism infrastructure in these areas through various initiatives. He reiterated that the administration will continue its focus on improving accessibility, beautification, and visitor amenities at these historically and culturally significant locations.

The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s dedication to bolstering the tourism sector through strategic infrastructure development and aggressive destination marketing, ensuring that Jammu and Kashmir remains one of India’s top travel destinations.