Almost in every economy of the world, the tourism sector plays a vital role in the contribution of generating revenue, employment opportunities and in the economy's GDP and has emerged as an important sector of the global economy and has become a major factor in global trade. This in fact is the scenario on the world platform but considering the local issues and intricacies, especially taking Jammu region as central, there is still a lot of scope to explore the tourism sector in the right perspective to get maximum out of it. This is because it is anybody's guess that the region confronted lopsided attitude of those who remained in power corridors of the erstwhile state of J&K for the maximum period after the reins of the then State were switched over from the hands of Monarchs to the people who got power under new democratic set-up.
Despite the fact that Jammu region is in no way less than Kashmir as far as tourism potential is concerned, the focus of the helmsmen that ruled the region was always Kashmir leaving little or literally no scope for Jammu to thrive as an independent tourist destination. Now when the incumbent dispensation is boasting of eliminating any kind of discrimination with Jammu, there is dire need that the region should be given its long pending due not only to promote tourism but also to provide fair deal to its youth to earn livelihood with dignity and pride.
People across India, who love to travel along the length and breadth of the country must have felt that local governments and even central one have provided licenses to the youths to work as tourist guides as the case in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and many other states and UTs giving much desirable opportunities to the younger lot to become self-sustaining individuals and not becoming a burden on their families or for that matter on the country as well.
This is something which the J&K administration should take care of by providing tourist guide and tourist escort licenses to the youth by providing basic training as the same can act as double-edged sword because on one side it will help generate livelihood for the new generation and on the other hand, the tourists would get the right information about the geography, history, flora and fauna of the region with no scope of misinformation spreading among the travelers, who in the long run act as ambassadors of Jammu region and help in boosting tourism.
