Kashmir is safe, assures J

Ahmedabad, Feb 5 (UNI) Hardselling 'Destination Kashmir' at a travel mart here, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department today said special security measures have been undertaken to give protection to the tourists visiting the state.

''The State Government has taken several measures in this regard.

Tourist places are being guarded by special cadres as part of tight security measures. It is as safe as any other place,'' Tourism Director Farooq Ahmed Shah said here at a press conference.

The Government was also making investments in developing the basic infrastructure like roads, power etc, he added.

Mr Shah is here along with members of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance, a body of tour operators, to take part in the ongoing India Travel Mart being held here.

He said the department plans to target high-end tourists by offering various facilties of sports and adventure such as golf courses in Gulmarg, water rafting in Pahalgam, skiing in Dal Lake and Mansabal Lake, trekking and mountaineering, ''We plan to organise as many as ten golf championships this summer to encaurage tourist footfalls,'' he said, addressing a press conference.

''Kashmir has been the favourite destination of tourists from across the world, for its natural beauty -- it is like ''jannat'' (heaven) on earth. Its people are also known for their hospitability,'' J and K Tourism Alliance chairman G M Dug said.

Apart from adventure tourism, it also has a lot of scope for religious, leisure and winter tourism, he said. ''Where else can one enjoy such sports as ice skating, snow boarding and ice hockey most,'' he asked.

Elaborating on the tourist footfalls, Mr Shah said 60 per cent of the tourists who visit the state are mainly from Maharashtra and Gujarat.'' Last year, there were 4.35 lakh footfalls in the state (excluding Amarnath and Vaishnodevi yatris), of who about 60 per cent were from these two states,'' he said.

He admitted that the militancy has dealt a severe blow to the tourism sector, which is the backbone of the State's economy. ''Last year's figures showed a over one-and-half lakh dip from that of 2005,'' he added.

UNI