NL Corresspondent
Jammu Tawi: As the hospitality & tourism sector moves on the path of recovery and growth after the two traumatic years of the pandemic, Hotel Association of India (HAI) recently released a Vision 2047 document outlining the roadmap for the future of the industry over the next 25 years. The report while covering key destinations and states across the country has affirmed the gaining popularity of Kashmir as a travel destination, more so for Adventure Tourism, in the post pandemic era.
This comes on the back of swelling tourist numbers into the Union Territory as well as greater emphasis from the Central Government and the UT Administration.
The report was released by HAI following a meeting with the hon'ble union secretary (tourism), V. Vidyavathi recently when a delegation from the Association presented her with a copy of the report titled “Vision 2047-Indian Hotel Industry-Challenges & The Road Ahead”.
KB Kachru, Vice President, Hotel Association of India and Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor (South Asia), Radisson Hotel Group said, “Kashmir is rich in history, culture and natural beauty. It has several attractions that cater to a diverse traveller base. A visitor to Kashmir can enjoy a range of activities and experiences. The Union territory has seen the entry of all hotel brands both foreign and national.
Brands are also strengthening and expanding their presence. In addition to Srinagar and Gulmarg, brands have extended their footprints to Sonmarg, Local hotels are partnering with brands.
There is an overall emphasis by the hospitality industry to open hotels as soon as possible with world standards of MICE and tourist services and amenities. To realise the full potential of tourism and allied services to create jobs and promote inclusive economic growth in remote and rural areas, the Union Government announced a record budget allocation for the tourist sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
The allocation INR 786 crores is INR 509 crores higher than the previous budgetary allocation. Tourist huts, viewpoints, community sheds and various other useful structures have been developed to further push tourism in the union territory (UT). Plan allocation for all 20 districts of the UT has more than doubled from INR 5,136 crores in 2020-2021 to INR 12,600 crores in 2021-2022.
Some of the State-level Initiatives to build a robust policy Structure for the hospitality industry includes the launch of Mission Youth in J&K and the establishing Jammu & Kashmir Tourist village Network to boost rural tourism and transform 75 villages of known historical, picturesque, beauty and cultural significance into tourist villages.
The Report charts out various possible scenarios for the future and what the industry can reasonably achieve by the time India celebrates 100 years of Independence It also focuses on how the pandemic has altered the way of doing business and analyses megatrends such as technology, sustainability concerns, changing consumer behaviour, digitization, AI, etc. that will shape the future of the industry.
Last year, around 18 million tourists visited J&K.
The recently heldG20 tourism side event and the upcoming Miss World 2023 , scheduled to be held at Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar in December has also positioned the UT firmly and strongly as a serious contender for the burgeoning and high volume segments of events including destination weddings.
“The country is celebrating ‘Amrit Kaal' as it completes 75 years of independence and embarks on a journey to 100 years, Hospitality Vision 2047 envisions the role of the industry to supplement the government's new approach to Mission Mode Tourism Development and create a dynamic, vibrant hospitality industry that gives shape to the nation's development goals”, says MP Bezbaruah, Secretary General, Hotel Association of India.
