Srinagar: Tourism Department in Kashmir has spent over Rs two crore for tourism promotion outside Kashmir Valley.
Over Rs, two crores as per the Tourism Department was utilized for the promotion of Tourism. This includes the expenditures on roadshows, trade fairs, and travel marts within and outside India from March 2021 to March 2022.
The information provided by the Department of Tourism to RTI activist M.M.Shujah reveals that tourism events were organized in Hyderabad, Pune, Nagpur, Kochi, Lucknow and other places.
Over Rs 38 lakhs were spent alone by the Tourism Department Kashmir on a three-day SATTE, South Asia’s Travel Trade Show at Greater Noida New Delhi. Besides, over Rs 60 lakh was spent on the events organized in different cities of India.
Kashmir Tourism Department as per news agency Kashmir News Trust has also provided over Rs one crore to different NGOs and trade bodies for organizing roadshows outside Kashmir Valley. Each NGO or trade body got Rs 7 lakh for organizing a roadshow on a single day. These include Pahalgam Hotel and Restaurant Association (organized road show in Pune), Domestic Tour Operators Association (roadshow in Bhubneshwar) Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association (roadshow in Ahmadabad), Pilgrim and Leisure Tour Operators Forum (roadshow in Kolkatta), M/S PILTOF (roadshow in Ahmadabad), Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (roadshow in Chennai), Domestic Tour Operators Association (roadshow in Raipur).
Four Associations including the Association of Kashmir Tour Operators, Jammu Kashmir Tourism Alliance, Travel Agents Society of Kashmir, and Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association organized two roadshows each and were given Rs 14 lakh each for the same. (KNT)