We also need to tap media for tourism promotion: TASK
Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah urged travel agents and hoteliers to promote State’s rich art, culture, heritage and archeological sites along with the natural landscape which the place is bestowed with.
Mahmood Shah was interacting with the travel trade and hospitality sector at a dinner party here at Hotel Royal Batoo on Thursday evening. The dinner was hosted by Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK) for the media fraternity from Indore.
The journalists from Indore who are here on a FAM tour include M Thankur of Agni Blast magazine, Manohar Bhati Editor of News and Views, Prakash Hindustani, Prakash Purohit Editor of Prabhat Kiran newspaper.
Department of Tourism Kashmir has invited journalists from Indore on a FAM tour to Kashmir who arrived here on March 15. The invitation was extended to journalists by TASK during their seminar at Indore in February this year.
Director Tourism Kashmir said Shri Pratap Singh Museum houses century’s old artifacts, cultural and archaeological collections from the regions stretching from Jammu, Kashmir, Baltistan and Gilgit.
Shah said the archaeological collections in the museum are important part of tourism and need to be showcased to travelers and especially heritage and archaeology lovers.
He also urged tour operators to take tourists to Burzahom archaeological site also.
“We shouldn’t only promote our landscape but other tourism products also. Kashmir is world famous for its natural beauty but we can show tourists centuries old archaeological collections at our museum. We should also show them Burzahom archaeological site,” urged Mahmood Shah.
Director tourism Kashmir also directed hoteliers to keep publicity material available in their hotels to make tourists aware about the Kashmir and its tourism products.
“We have lot of publicity and promotional material available on heritage walks, heritage sties, heritage of downtown in Srinagar besides landscape which hoteliers should keep available at their receptions,” said Shah.
President of Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Federation Javed Bashir Burza said he would issue circular to all the federation members about keeping publicity material in their hotels.
The Director also urged the journalists from Indore to promote Kashmir’s beauty and tourism products in their vernacular newspapers
The media from Indore who had earlier visited tulip garden, Mughal gardens in Srinagar were all praise for its beauty. They also got the promotional articles about tulip garden published in their local Hindi dailies.
The journalists pointed out that markets in Srinagar should be open till late evening so that tourists after enjoying the sightseeing during the day can go out for evening shopping.
“Tourists especially domestic like to go out late evening. If markets remain open, they can enjoy shopping here,” suggested the media persons.
President TASK, M Ibrahim Siah, said TASK had taken the initiative to invite journalists to Kashmir during their seminar at Indore.
“If we are able to convince media that Kashmir is safe and most beautiful destination in India, it would help us promote our places in a much better way. Media can play an important role in promoting Kashmir in a positive way. There are many stories the media can cover from Kashmir about tourism. However, so far we have failed to tap them,” said Siah.
He said it was high time that State government especially tourism department invited print and electronic media to Kashmir on frequent FAM tours.
“We should also invite writers from other cities who after visiting Kashmir can write about natural beauty this place has to offer for tourists. Once they visit this place, they will come to know that Kashmir is as safe as any other place in the world,” said TASK President.
Deputy Director Tourism (Publicity) Peerzada Zahoor besides organization heads of Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Federation, Pilgrim and Leisure Tour Operators Forum, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance, J&K Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India, Association of Kashmir Tour Operators, Houseboat Owners Association, Pahalgam Hotels and Restaurant Owners Association were present on the occasion.
