JAMMU, OCTOBER 21: As part of the ‘Jan Abhiyan’ initiative recently launched by the government in J&K UT, the senior officers of the Tourism Department, J&K are visiting the Offbeat Tourist Destinations in all districts of J&K which shall continue on daily basis till 26th October, 2022.
Under the close supervision of Director Tourism Jammu Vivekananda Rai, Deputy Director Tourism Jammu, Abdul Jabbar, alongwith Ambika Bali, Assistant Director Tourism Katra/Jammu entailed day long field tours to panchayat Panthal and Dadura and culminated the interactive field visits at Siyad Baba which is a popular tourist destination and among one of the focus ‘Offbeat Destinations’ listed by the Tourism Department in 2021. The said tours have been conducted as a detailed awareness cum sensitization camps in connection with the recently launched ‘Jan Abhiyaan’ campaign which is a precursor to the much awaited “Back to Village, Phase 4” programme of the government.
During the day long interactive awareness camps, the Deputy Director Tourism elaborately spoke on the deliverables pertaining to the Tourism Department under Jan Abhiyaan campaign and emphasized that these deliverables are a part of the already ongoing focus of the government to develop and map all the tourist areas with potential of tourism related activities. He laid emphasis on public involvement in identification of new tourist destinations, trekking routes so that the demarcation and delineation of these areas and routes is done with a practical approach and people friendly feasibility. He also assured that all necessary support shall be given to interested persons for their training as a Tourist Guide through the Food Crafts Institute Nagrota and the department shall also hold special training camps for Homestay training so that all interested Homestay proprietors especially at the offbeat tourist destinations also get an opportunity for earning livelihood at their own villages and towns.
During his visit to Siyad Baba, Deputy Director Tourism Jammu interacted with the Adventure Tour Operators who are already working in Baradari especially engaged in river rafting activity at Baradari on the river Chenab. He also met locals who apprised him about the immense tourism potential of Judda, Chinkah, Kheral, Thanpal and surrounding areas in Reasi District. Deputy Director Tourism Jammu assured that the Tourism Department is laying special emphasis on integrating all tourism products of district Reasi and is currently working to enhance the tourist potential ‘beyond Katra’. He also elaborated that the tourism department shall organize ‘National White Water River Rafting Championship’ at Baradari Reasi in November 2022.
Tourism Officers also educated the local community participants to maintain close relationship with the Government Departments for availing benefits of the schemes available with various Departments. It was also discussed to maintain ecological balance and practice sustainable Tourism to keep the environment in and around all the destinations pollution free. The local community also explained the need to diversify tourism products beyond Katra by tapping the immense tourists visiting Shree Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in their vicinity and to take maximum benefit by diverting visiting pilgrims to nearby Tourist places. The local stakeholders were educated to keep a cordial relationship with the visitors so that the publicity of the unexplored destinations occurs through word of mouth from the lakhs of tourists coming over in Katra every year.
Prominent among the attendees who were present at Panthal and Dadura were DDC member Rajinder Mengi, BDC Chairman Chander Mohan Singh, Sarpanch Panthal Suresh Kumar, Sarpanch Dadura, Rajinder Kumar. At Siyad Baba, Vikas Sharma, Jugal Kishore Raina,. Rahul Sharma, Romail Singh among others were present and interacted with the visiting officers.
