Srinagar: The Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) on Friday said the situation in the Kashmir Valley was normal and asserted that all stakeholders, including the Centre, were keen to ensure an early revival of tourism in the Union territory.
Addressing a press conference here, ATOAI President Ajeet Bajaj said the association considers Jammu and Kashmir to be the country’s premier adventure tourism destination and is committed to working closely with the government to promote safe and sustainable adventure tourism in the region.
He said ATOAI recently held its 17th annual convention in Kashmir and experienced the region’s renowned hospitality. Bajaj added that several members visited tourist destinations such as Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg as part of the convention and described their experience as highly positive.
Bajaj said the convention, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, focused on promoting adventure tourism in India, with special emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir. He noted that the deliberations centred on strategies to revive tourism in the Union territory following a difficult year in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and the Delhi blast.
He further said that a dedicated session was organised involving tourism operators from across the country and local stakeholders from Jammu and Kashmir, with the aim of building partnerships and networks to bring more business to the region. Bajaj said there was a shared resolve among stakeholders nationwide to see tourism return to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest.
Describing the region as one of the most scenic parts of the country, Bajaj said senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, including the Additional Secretary and Director General, were also present at the convention and conveyed the message that the situation on the ground was stable. He said participants had personally observed that normalcy had returned and expressed confidence that tourist inflow would steadily increase.
On the continued closure of certain tourist destinations following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Bajaj said the association hoped that, as the situation continued to improve, all areas would gradually be reopened for tourism and adventure activities. He clarified that such decisions were beyond the control of adventure tour operators and could only be suggested to the authorities.
Prominent tourism stakeholder Mushtaq Chaya, who also addressed the press conference, thanked ATOAI for choosing Kashmir as the venue for its annual convention. He said over 200 members from across the country visited the Valley to assess the situation firsthand and were requested to act as ambassadors to convey the ground reality to people elsewhere.
Chaya said while unfortunate incidents had occurred and were strongly condemned, the situation was now improving and returning to normal. He added that several travel planners and tourism partners had visited Kashmir and appealed to them to promote the region and reassure tourists across the country that Kashmir was safe.
He said Kashmir has always welcomed visitors from across India and reaffirmed the region’s commitment to hospitality and service for tourists from all parts of the country.