Qaiser Dar
Srinagar 07 October (KNB): A team of two officials from the Tourism Department (UT-J&K) has travelled to Kolkata to convince the people, preparing for Durga Puja, to visit Kashmir as well.
“The purpose behind the visit is to communicate to the people and assure them about the Standard Operating Procedures as well as other safety measures are taken well care of and they are most welcome to visit and admire the natural beauty of the valley,” Director Tourism (Kashmir), Nisar Ahmad Wani said.
The Tourism Department is trying its best to revive the hustle and bustle of tourists in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Covid-19 lockdown, which started in the month of March and continued the following months till July, had a drastic impact on the sector.
“For months, April, May, June till 14th of July the flow of tourists was zero. No tourists were allowed to enter the premises of the valley as strict lockdown was imposed. From 14th of July as the restrictions were slowly lifted and orders by the government of Jammu and Kashmir came to bring the tourism sector back to life, we acted upon it,” he added.
While speaking to KNB he said, “We also celebrated the World Tourism Day on 27th of September and tried to convey a positive message about Kashmir to the people around world. We tried to do the same through national dailies like Indian Express and Times of India.”
Wani assured that the department is well prepared to welcome any number of tourists in the valley. “The real fun in Kashmir starts in the autumn season followed by the mesmerizing winters. Our expectations are very high in these particular seasons and of course we are preparing the best of events for the winter games.” (KNB)