A delegation of The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Inc) held a meeting with the Mr. Tasaduq Mufti, Minister for Tourism, J&K on 18th of February, 2018 at SKICC, Srinagar. The following issues pertaining to tourism were raised in the meeting:-
1. HOLDING OF TWO ONE WEEK DURATION EVENTS AT MUMBAI & AHMADABAD:-
That the State Tourism Department should hold besides other efforts at least two specially organized state sponsored events, each one of a week’s minimum duration to showcase the tourism-handicraft-horticulture combine potential of the state at Mumbai and Ahmadabad. Such events if held are expected to prove advantageous and helpful in alleviating the misgivings borne on the minds of a quite a large section of intending tourists from these regions about visiting Kashmir and motivate them to visit Kashmir. It was explained to the Hon’ble Minister that such a feat on the part of the government would simultaneously help promoting the handicraft and horticulture potential of the State also.
2. ADDITIONAL COMMON STPS ALLOTTED TO SRINAGAR CITY BY THE PREVIOUS GOVT. NOT IMPLEMENTED ON THE GROUND:-
The Minister was requested to have the funds allocated for executing the work on 5 STEPs already sanctioned for 5 hotel clusters of city of Srinagar. The hotels located in the vicinity of Dal Lake stand connected with STPs already functional at different locations in the peripheries of Dal Lake against a monthly prescribed fee.
3. INCENTIVES FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY:-
The incentives recently announced by the Hon’ble Finance Minister in the budget speech for new tourism infrastructure be also extended to the existing properties/hotel for their renovation, expansion and modernization.
The Hon’ble Minister gave patient hearing to the delegation and assured the demands as above will be given due consideration and at the same time suggested that that the hoteliers should have a system in place for segregating of solid waste so that the same could be reused to avoid pollution around the hotels.(KNO)