SRINAGAR, THURSDAY, 13 SAFAR 1429 AH ; 21 FEBRUARY 2008 CE
JK gets its first travel planner
Highlights Tourism Potential Of Its 3 Regions
ARIF SHAFI WANI
Srinagar, Feb 20: A Travel Planner, first-of-its kind, providing exhaustive information about tourist places in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh has hit the markets.
The planner titled Discover Jammu Kashmir Ladakh besides giving detailed account of the tourist places in the three regions of the state focuses on history, culture and climate.
Authored by Valley-based noted travel writer and trekker, Basharat Rashid, the 155-page planner gives information about the tourist places, religious places and different aspects of the regions with beautiful photographs, illustrations and maps.
The cover page has the photograph of the Habba Khatoon peak in picturesque tourist destination Gurez recently opened for tourists. A comprehensive list of all the hotels, guesthouses, taxi stands and important itineraries has been included in the planner. The planner was released at Tourism and Travel Fair at Mumbai and Delhi, earlier this month.
“Kashmir has been my source of inspiration. Ladakh gave birth to an adventurer and Jammu polished me into a professional. Love for all three regions binds me to search for unknown realities, discover about the places and share it with the people who keenly explore these destinations,” Basharat Rashid told Greater Kashmir.
“I have observed that most of the tourists who visit our state are indecisive about which tourist places to visit or where to stay or eat. To save their time and money and for promotion of tourism, I included all the information in the planner,” said Basharat who is also Executive Editor of JK Traveler published by Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation.
Having three-travel publications to his credit, Basharat said that tourists are effective tools of publicity. “They can spread a word across and create a demand from the potential markets. Our destinations have immense sources to offer spectacular sights to the visitors and equally provide bread and butter to millions of people in the tourism sector,” Basharat said.
As a social responsibility, the author and publisher, Avalanche Media have decided to share proceeds of the planner’s sale, for environment protection particularly Dal lake which is marred by extreme pollution.
“To meet the stiff competition in tourism sector, care for tourists and destinations must be prime concern of the people and the authorities. Owing to its tourism importance, Dal’s glory needs to be restored. We will contribute in a small way for its revival,” the author said.
The senior tourism officials and key private tourism players of the state have also acknowledged the planner with their messages in it. “Jammu and Kashmir has bloomed through thick and thin with concerted efforts of the private entrepreneurs within and outside the state hand in hand with department of tourism. The travel planner assists every tourist to work out a well planned tour to visit any destination in three regions of the state,” Director Tourism Kashmir states in the planner.
“Travel Planner is a landmark in the history of JK Tourism. It in the first Travel Planner ever that has brought forth the tourism potential of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh collectively,” states Akram Siah, president of Travel Agents Society of Kashmir.
