Jammu, Mar 4: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the assembly on Tuesday that Jammu and Kashmir welcomed over 4.40 crore tourists, including 1.20 lakh foreigners, in the last two years. He emphasized the immense potential of the tourism sector in creating employment opportunities within the region.
As the head of the tourism department, CM Abdullah announced that ₹35.08 crore has been allocated for departmental promotion, advertising, and related initiatives over the past two fiscal years. He detailed that ₹12.54 crore was utilized in FY 2023-24 and ₹22.54 crore in FY 2024-25.
In response to a query from National Conference member Mubarak Gul, the chief minister reported that 4.48 crore pilgrims, including 1.20 lakh foreigners, visited Jammu and Kashmir in the last two years. He noted that the region experienced 2,11,24,674 visitors in 2023 and 2,35,24,629 in 2024, with 55,337 foreign tourists in 2023 and 65,452 in 2024.
Abdullah highlighted the significant employment potential in the tourism sector for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, acknowledging that, although the sector employs a large workforce, no formal survey has been conducted to determine the exact number of employees.
Additionally, he shared with the assembly that 59 assets belonging to the Tourism Department have been outsourced over the past two years. (Agencies)
