Tag Archives: Jammu and Kashmir

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Tourism Minister, GoI, said they will do their best to “minimise” the dent on tourism in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the attack. “I am in touch with everybody in J&K, and so is my office. Secretary, Tourism is taking regular updates from the UT’s Tourism Secretary and Chief Secretary”, he added.

During OTM in Mumbai, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, J&K emphasised that tourism is a top priority for the state government, and they are planning to position Jammu and Kashmir as a global tourism hotspot. He said, “Our participation in events like OTM is a step toward achieving this vision.”

During an event in Jammu & Kashmir, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister, Tourism, emphasised, “Tourism will be one of the major driving forces in taking the country’s economy to third from fifth globally.” With rise in incomes, Indians are travelling more frequently, he said.

Commences sale for daily flights connecting Srinagar and Mumbai Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, announced the addition of Srinagar as the 20th destination to its expanding network. Starting 1st March 2024, the airline will operate daily flights between the financial capital – Mumbai and Paradise on Earth – Srinagar catering to the growing air travel demand between these two cities. This network expansion is a significant milestone as it marks the airline’s entry into the state of Jammu and Kashmir, strengthening its domestic presence in the northern part of the country. Travellers can book flights starting February 2, 2024, on Akasa Air’s website www.akasaair.com, Android and iOS app or through multiple leading OTAs. Srinagar, often called a ‘Paradise on Earth’, has witnessed a consistent increase in travel demand over the past years. The launch of operations on the route will cater to a blend of business and leisure travellers and will bolster connectivity, trade, and tourism in the region. With this launch, Akasa Air seamlessly connects Mumbai to 13 cities across India. Commenting on the announcement, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We are thrilled to announce operations from Srinagar – our 20th destination in the network. Known for its picturesque mountains and enchanting valleys, Srinagar has witnessed an uptick in domestic and international tourism and our flight launch will further boost economic activity in the region. Akasa Air is in growth mode and has achieved a milestone of adding 20 destinations to our network in just 17 months of operations, becoming the fastest-growing airline in the history of Indian aviation.” Commenting on the launch, Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing & Experience officer, Akasa Air …

Speaking at the third G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in Srinagar, G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant said, “PM Narendra Modi believes that tourism has the biggest multiplier effect being the biggest job creator and this G20 meeting will lead to more job creation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Tourism stakeholders in Kashmir hope the upcoming G20 meeting in Srinagar will lead to the lifting of travel advisories by the US and EU countries. The move could provide a boost to the tourism industry, said Syed Abid Rashid, Tourism Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the order issued by general administration department (GAD), Jammu and Kashmir government is all set to outsource assets of tourism department and has set up a panel to decide the mechanism of executing the plan in a phased manner. 

Jammu and Kashmir has registered a tourist footfall of 1.62 crore for the first time in the history of 75 years of independent India. Reports have revealed that the tourism sector has seen a significant boost in April 2022 with the highest-ever record of 102 to and fro flights as well as around 15,199 average daily passengers.

Zeeshan Khan, Assistant Director, Kashmir Tourism said that to celebrate 75 years of independence, Jammu and Kashmir government has identified 75 off-beat destinations among which 38 are in Kashmir and 37 in Jammu”. The Jammu and Kashmir government is focusing on campaigns aiming at confidence building. The government is also focusing on capacity-building programs, as a result of these rigorous promotions, the state witnessed a record-high tourist footfall of 6,00,000 this year.

The tourism department of Jammu and Kashmir has revealed that 600,000 tourists have visited the valley in the past four months—the highest in the last ten years. The famous Kashmir valley has hotels and houseboats fully booked with tourists queuing up for shikara rides on the Dal Lake. The tourist destination is witnessing record-breaking tourist footfall in the past one decade.