Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for a shift from volume-driven to value-based tourism, saying there is a need to develop Jammu and Kashmir as a sustainable tourism destination and regulate the flow of visitors.
“Tourism without sustainability is an unqualified disaster. It may survive for a few years, but it cannot endure in the long run unless sustainability is built into its very foundation,” Omar said while addressing the inaugural session of the Conclave on Sustainable Tourism Planning—Designing Tourism for Tomorrow, organised by the department of tourism at SKICC.
The conclave had been organised at a crucial juncture when Jammu and Kashmir was reassessing its tourism vision and determining whether its future lay in attracting ever-growing visitor numbers or creating greater value from a more sustainable tourism economy.
Omar asked policymakers, industry stakeholders and local communities to move beyond volume-driven tourism towards a value-based and sustainable tourism model that safeguards the region’s fragile ecology while ensuring long-term economic prosperity.
“We have to decide whether we wish to earn by charging one hundred tourists one rupee each or by creating an experience where one tourist is willing to pay one hundred rupees. The answer to that question must shape all our future tourism master plans,” Omar remarked.
{{/usCountry}}“We have to decide whether we wish to earn by charging one hundred tourists one rupee each or by creating an experience where one tourist is willing to pay one hundred rupees. The answer to that question must shape all our future tourism master plans,” Omar remarked.
{{/usCountry}}Reflecting on Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism journey over the past three decades, Omar said that the region had understandably pursued a volume-based approach to demonstrate normalcy after years of conflict. “The recent fluctuations in tourist arrivals had once again exposed the vulnerability of the tourism ecosystem.”
The CM said that sustainable tourism planning must comprehensively address critical issues including traffic regulation, parking infrastructure, waste management, water conservation, building regulations, carrying capacity and community participation. “Sustainability cannot be based on knee-jerk reactions. Every intervention must be well-planned, thoroughly discussed with stakeholders and capable of delivering long-term solutions,” he said.