Tourism promotion futile if destinations remain closed: CM Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Sep 18: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the government’s tourism promotion campaigns would be meaningless if popular destinations continued to remain closed for visitors.

Speaking to reporters in Gulmarg, Omar said the incident that occurred recently in Pahalgam should not have taken place, but added that several corrective measures had since been taken. “What happened in Pahalgam should not have happened. Since then, a number of steps have been taken. But unless closed destinations are thrown open, our tourism promotion will be a futile exercise. If they are not open, then what is the point of spending resources on promoting tourism?” he said, according to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

The Chief Minister underlined that J&K’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and cautioned that shutting down destinations creates a negative perception about the Valley.

Omar also expressed dismay over restrictions that prevented political leaders from offering condolences in certain cases.

Tourism stakeholders in Kashmir have repeatedly flagged concerns over restricted access to various resorts, warning that it hampers both domestic and international tourist inflow.