Srinagar: A JKHARA delegation, led by its President M. Showkat Chowdhary, met Faz-ul Haseeb Director Tourism, Kashmir at his office, Directorate of Tourism, Srinagar. Mr. Chowdhary was accompanied by General Secretary Manzoor Pakhtoon, Treasurer Nasreen Ansari, Media Coordinator Parvaiz Ahmad, Atif Nabi, Shahzadi Simon and Ayesha Saleem.President Mr. Chowdhary congratulated the director on his appointment and applauded the tourism department for an intensive promotional campaign which brought record breaking number of tourists to Kashmir during this current year and hoped that from now onwards. Kashmir will get ushered into the golden era of tourism, a statement issued to Ziraat Times said.
He said that today’s tourists want modern hygienic facilities, in which Kashmir is somehow lacking. It needs improvement and up gradation in bed capacity. He urged the director to identify and go for bid for certain camping sites at new destinations as well as Sonamarg and Pahalgam within these 2/3 months so that the stakeholder/investors get ready to create proper facilities before the onset of next tourist season.
He also urged the director that good food Courts with multi cuisine should be opened at various places. During the course of discussion, they both also explored the idea that a full-fledged “Kashmir Courtyard” with authentic local cuisine, handicraft stalls and cultural programmes be set up within the vicinity of Srinagar City to attract tourists and showcase our rich heritage.
Mr. M. Chowdhary and his team appreciated the director’s vision and initiative towards “Ease of Doing Business” and urged him to take up the matter of renewal/new registration of hotels and guest houses etc. on a fast-track basis and resolve the issue of NOCs, whose expiry most of the times clashes with the term of registration certificate of tourism.
The director assured the full Cooperation to JKHARA, the statement said.
