The Jammu Kashmir administration constituted a 15 member panel to oversee the arrangements for the upcoming G20 members’ visit to Kashmir. The panel would be headed by the Financial Commissioner and will be entrusted to oversee the arrangements.
This is probably the first ever such event to be held in Kashmir. India is this year heading the G20 group and it is certainly a blessing in disguise for Jammu and Kashmir to host such a high-profile event in its serene and mesmerizing lap that will in turn help to promote the high end tourism.
Mostly Switzerland has an opportunity to host such events but given the hostile situation in Jammu Kashmir over the past few decades the world had overlooked Kashmir though it comprises dozens of mini Switzerland in its lap.
Switzerland is properly promoted as the best tourist destination in the world while Kashmir is overlooked. The blame wholly can’t be shifted to the world for undermining Kashmir’s high profile tourist potential, it is mainly due to the successive regimes who never set Kashmir as priority.
Post article 370 abrogation by the Union government, things are happening for good. Kashmir this year witnessed unprecedented footfalls of tourists. Official estimates suggest that over 3.5 million tourists arrived in Jammu and Kashmir and the number may increase in the coming times.
Mostly, the tourism flow remains high in summers only. Its winter tourism potential still remains unexplored. The events like the G20 summit will not only come up as an honour to Kashmir but will in a long way promote Kashmir as the high end tourist destination.
Government must seize this opportunity and not miss any chance to cash its economic dividends. Let Kashmir tourism prevail in the high end global market and the government make all efforts in this direction.
