J&K Tourism, MTOA organize ‘Chalo Kashmir’ Webinar

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Oct 14:  Following the interactions with the Tour and Travel fraternity of West Bengal and Gujarat, J&K Tourism and the Maharashtra Tour Organizers Association (MTOA) on Wednesday organized a Webinar on the theme ‘Chalo Kashmir’.

J&K receives among the largest chunk of tourists from States like West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The Webinar panel comprised of Secretary, Tourism, J&K, Sarmad Hafeez, Director Tourism, Kashmir, Nisar Ahmad Wani, Deputy Director, Publicity, Ideel Saleem, President MTOA, Prabhubhai, President, Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, Farooq A Kuthoo, President, TAFI, Pradeep Lulla President, Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK), Rauf Tramboo,Vice President MTOA, Vishvajeet Patil, Treasurer MTOA, Rajan Parekh, Ex Presidents MTOA, Sudhir Patil and Atul Mohil and Ex Vice President, MTOA, Abhijeet Patil.

A promotional video and a presentation on tourism destinations in Jammu and Kashmir including its lesser known Tourism destinations and an array of adventure activities being promoted in the Union Territory were showcased during the Webinar.

“As COVID restrictions have eased in the Union Territory, allowing for hassle free travel to all Tourism destinations, J&K Tourism has started its publicity campaigns with hosting of series of activities and reaching out to the tourism stakeholders across the country about the facilities in place for the tourists and to convey the message that J&K is ready to welcome the tourists”.  Secretary, Tourism Mr Sarmad Hafeez said. He added that Tourism Industry in J&K is resilient and has always bounced back in the face of many challenges. “Although COVID presented a unique challenge, we are sure that with the support of the stakeholders, Tourism sector will bounce back in J&K”.

Secretary, Tourism informed that capacity building programmes are being held to impart training to the workers and staff in the Hospitality business, so that they are made aware about the SoPs to be maintained while serving the guests.

Addressing the Webinar, Director Tourism said that a calendar of activities for autumn season and the upcoming winter season has been drawn and the all measures for health safety of the Tourists are in place. He apprised the Tour Operators of Maharashtra about the easing of restrictions related to COVID19 in J&K including lifting of curbs on entry of people into J&K by road, rail or air, opening up all tourism destinations, parks, hotels and restaurants, opening up of Gulmarg Gondola, opening up of cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, swimming pools, lifting of ceiling in open spaces and various other measures and guidelines to facilitate tourists and general public while ensuring health safety.

During the interactions, it was revealed that a large number of queries have been received from prospective tourists from Maharashtra for visiting J&K in Autumn and the ensuing winter months.

President MTOA, Parbhubhai assured unconditional support of the association for J&K Tourism and reiterated that J&K will always remain the most preferred destination for the Tour and Travel fraternity of Maharashtra.

New Delhi, Oct 14:  India is at third place after China and the United States which recorded the highest number of disasters during the past 20 years (2000—2019), according to a UN report.

The report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) released in Geneva on October 13 to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction confirms how extreme weather events dominated the disaster landscape in the 21st century.

In terms of affected countries globally, China (577 events) and the US (467 events) reported the highest number of disaster events, followed by India (321 events), Philippines (304 events) and Indonesia (278 events). These countries all have large and heterogenous landmasses and relatively high population densities in at-risk areas.

Professor Debarati Guha-Sapir, Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, University of Louvain, Belgium, said “This report covers the first twenty years of this century and does not include biological hazards like COVID-19 but it clearly highlights the level of human suffering and economic loss that result from failure to adapt to climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.’’

He warned that if this level of growth in extreme weather events continues over the next twenty years, the future of mankind looked very bleak.

Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, said “We are willfully destructive. That is the only conclusion one can come to when reviewing disaster events over the last twenty years. COVID-19 is but the latest proof that political and business leaders are yet to tune in to the world around them.’’

Overall, eight of the top 10 countries by disaster events are in Asia.

Asia suffered the highest number of disaster events. In total, between 2000 and 2019 there were 3,068 disaster events in Asia, followed by the 1,756 in the Americas and 1,192 in Africa.

Srinagar, Oct 14: Former Director General Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Ashraf passed away here in on Wednesday. He was 77.

The death of Ashraf has been widely condoled by members of civil society, people associated with tourism and politicians.

The former DG tourism died at his residence in Srinagar at around 2300 hrs on Tuesday and was laid to rest at Polytechnic graveyard Gogji Bagh on Wednesday morning.

Ashraf did his engineering from Regional Engineering College at Naseem Bagh. However, he later changed his field and went for training in adventure sports like mountaineering and skiing at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and in Gulmarg and completed a diploma in the French language from the Alliance Francaise in New Delhi.

In 1973, he gave a project to the State Tourism Department for setting up of an Adventure Tourism Wing for promotion of adventure tourism in J&K. The proposal was accepted and he was appointed in-charge of the wing.

Ashraf was appointed as Deputy Director of Tourism and became the Director of the department in 1992. He was later promoted to the post of Director General Tourism in 1996. He retired from the department as the DG in 2003.

To commend his efforts in introducing rescue measures in Kashmir Mountains, he was awarded “Merite-Alpin” by Swiss in a special function in Les Diablerets in 1993.

In 1974, Ladakh was opened for foreign tourism by Government of India. Ashraf was extensively involved in developing tourism in this mysterious and enchanting land beyond the Himalaya.

The Department of Tourism condoled the demise of former Director General, Tourism, Muhammad Ashraf who passed away last night here.

Soon after hearing of Ashraf’s demise, a condolence meeting was convened at the Directorate of Tourism here this morning in which the speakers recalled the contribution rendered by late Mr. Ashraf in the development of Tourism in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The condolence meeting was chaired by Secretary, Tourism, Culture, Youth Services & Sports, Sarmad Hafeez.

Addressing the meeting, Sarmad Hafeez said late Ashraf was an encyclopaedia of Kashmir tourism whose contribution in its growth and development is unparalleled. He said he had the passion of promoting Kashmir tourism to such an extent that he did it even after his retirement through his newspaper columns and books.

The political parties have also condoled Ashraf’s demise.