CHENNAI: The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, as part of its efforts at attracting more visitors from south India and the travel trade, are offering several special tour packages and discounts, Farooq Shah, Director Tourism, Kashmir, said on Sunday.

Addressing a press meet at the Travel and Tourism Fair here, he said Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh had a lot to offer to the different categories of tourists, from adventure sports, golf courses, sight seeing to pilgrimage.

"We have thousands of Muslim and Hindu shrines ... hope people [from south India] will come in large numbers." The shrines were in addition to the Amarnath yatra and the Vaishno Devi temple that attract lakhs of pilgrims to the State every year. According to Javid Amin, Assistant Resident Commissioner of the Tourism Department in Chennai, a full-fledged office was functioning on North Usman Road. The focus on south India, he said, comes in the backdrop of a decline in the number of tourists from the region in the last few years. Mr. Amin said the reasons for the drop were being ascertained. It was, however, a surprising trend as the climate for tourism in Jammu and Kashmir was conducive now.

To another query, Mr. Shah declared: "Kashmir is as safe as any other part of the country."

Noting that tourism was the main source of revenue for the State, and several other industries thrived on its growth, he said the State Government planned to upgrade the tourism infrastructure, over the next five year, at a cost of Rs.700 crore.

The projects include those to improve the connectivity, deployment of modern (transport) coaches and upgrade of roads. The thrust would be on improving winter sports facilities. The State Government would not get involved in accommodation facilities, but would help the private sector create them.

Road shows

The Tourism Department, Mr. Shah said, was planning to conduct road shows and participate in tour-related events in Dubai and Malaysia.

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