MICE needs govt support in J&K

Anoop Kanuga, MC Member, TAAI, took part in the Tourism Development Conclave 2024 organised recently by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation in Srinagar for promoting tourism in the Union Territory. Sharing details, he emphasises on infra development, accessibility, and cultural promotion besides working with travel agents to develop appealing tour packages.

Surbhi Sharma

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) recently organised a conclave in Srinagar with an idea to promote tourism in the Union Territory. People from various walks of life, including government representatives and leaders from the tourism, hospitality and travel industry attended the event. Anoop Kanuga, MC Member, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), who also took part in the conclave, said, “The key highlights of the conclave included discussions on infrastructure, development, promotion of local culture, and initiatives to attract more tourists. The aim was to boost tourism in the region by showcasing its cultural heritage, natural beauty and adventure tourism potential. The conclave also emphasised on the need for sustainable tourism practices, which is a welcoming move, and enhancing the infrastructure. Although the infrastructure has improved a lot in the past few years, there is still scope for improvement. Another important aspect was to promote the local artisans. There is also the need to leverage digital media platforms for wider reach and accessibility,” he said.

Focus areas

Highlighting the need to attract more tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, Kanuga stressed that the focus should be on targeted marketing campaigns. “Then the other thing that the government should focus on is infrastructure development, accessibility, cultural promotion and collaborations with travel agents to develop appealing tour packages for all segments and the most important thing is to ensure that tourists have a safe and enjoyable experience,” he said.

Kanuga said, “As J&K lacks good connectivity with other cities, we need more flights from tier II and III cities. Tourism to Kashmir is seasonal, therefore, we could look at promoting Kashmir even in the off-season. For growth opportunities, we could look at fully exploiting cultural and adventure tourism, promoting sustainable tourism practices and digital marketing.”

He added, “Last year, about 2.1 crore tourists flocked to J&K, of which 50,000 were foreigners. This year, we have seen 1.5 crore tourist arrivals in the UT. To increase tourists’ footfall and enhance their experiences, TAAI can work on having joint tourism sessions, joint marketing campaigns, specialised tours and even partnerships with local stakeholders, including travel and hospitality players. Organising training programmes with JK Tourism, facilitating easier access to permits and travel logistics, and incentivising agents to promote the region through attractive packages and promotions would be a few things that can be done jointly.”

Wedding & MICE destination

Kanuga said, “The potential to host weddings in J&K is immense, primarily due to its scenic locations and cultural richness. Taking advantage of it, the government can help support the MICE community by improving infrastructure, strengthening security and offering subsidies to attract event organisers and agents to host weddings and MICE tourism events in the region.” He added, “For the people in travel and trade community, holding travel conventions in the region, joint promotions, frequent training programmes and offering discounts on weddings or MICE packages are some of the factors that carry a lot of potential to bring more tourists to J&K thereby bringing more revenue to the UT.”