JKTDC Board of Directors Meeting, 94th
12 July, Srinagar: At the 94th meeting of the J&K Tourism Development Corporation’s (JKTDC) Board of Directors (BoD), Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta issued an order requiring the officers of the Tourism Department to take all necessary measures to promote tourist destinations other than Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Patnitop as attractive tourist spots and to improve facilities for stay at these locations.
Officials from the IT Department, including the Principal Secretary of Finance, the Commissioner Secretary of I&C, the Secretary of Tourism, the Managing Director of the JKTDC, the Director of Tourism in Kashmir, and other officials, all attended the Board of Directors meeting.
The UT’s Chief Secretary made the observation that the Corporation owns valuable real estate in practically all of the UT’s most popular tourist destinations, and that giving these assets the care and attention they deserve would encourage visitors to spend the night there. He also suggested include extreme sports competitions like rock climbing, paragliding, and water polo.
Dr. Mehta urged the officials to develop a strategy to increase interest in golf tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. He insisted that Utah’s world-class golf facilities could draw players from around the country. He suggested the Department create an extensive schedule of events for these classes, and consider bundling them with its other tourism-related resources and services.
To maximise their potential and generate cash for the Corporation, the Chief Secretary emphasised revitalising Department assets in Kokernag, Verinag, Daksum, Betab Valley, Sanasar, Sarthal, Bani, Basholi, and Baderwah. He suggested that they differentiate themselves from competitors by emphasising cleanliness and hygiene.
Minga Sherpa, managing director of JKTDC, gave a presentation updating the group on the company’s progress and future objectives.
During the meeting, the MD of the JKTDC shared the organization’s future goals for boosting tourism in the UT. He disclosed the company’s strategy for realising the due with different creditors and leasing out assets on renewed terms. He reported to the board that the company’s commitment to being a successful organisation had resulted in a significant improvement to the balance sheet.
The board also addressed HR concerns and spoke about problems at the Corporation’s hotels in Srinagar and Jammu. Among other choices, it discussed the Corporation’s intention to outsource JKTDC assets in Pahalgam, Kud, Sanasar, Qazigund, Banihal, Ramban, Gulmarg, Jammu, and Srinagar using the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
