JAMMU: Advisor to the Governor, Mr. Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, has hailed the statements of the Gujarat Tourism Minister, Mr. Jawahar Chavda and the Travel Agents of Mumbai and surrounding cities reiterating their commitment to the promotion of tourism in Kashmir which they have been doing for the last many decades. Describing the statements as heartwarming and encouraging, Ganai, who is also in-charge of the Tourism Department, said that Jammu & Kashmir is safe for tourists and hoped that the untoward and unfortunate incidents which take place in Kashmir occasionally will not come in the way of smooth arrival of tourists as the common people here are most hospitable to the tourists and always welcome arrival of more and more visitors from different parts of the country.
Ganai informed that the Tourism Department is making efforts to step up promotional activities with the hope that more and more people in the country and abroad are motivated to plan their holidays in Kashmir. He further expressed hope that forthcoming inauguration of the Tulip Garden at Srinagar during second week of April will see the arrival of first batch of tourists to Kashmir and kick-start the tourist season on a good omen. The Advisor also underlined the importance of countering the negative perceptions created by some sections of media through the effort of non-state stakeholders of Tourism industry and sector in Jammu and Kashmir.