About Jammu & Kashmir Tourism
The Department of Tourism, J&K is the main developmental, promotional and regulatory arm of the J&K Government. Its main role comprises of overall planning and execution of schemes for the development, up-gradation and improvement of the tourism infrastructure in different parts of the UT.
Support to the private sector industry in the form of incentives for settings up various tourist facilities as well as for promotion and marketing of their products and services. Promotion and marketing of various tourist destinations and products of the regulation of the travel-trade by enforcement of provisions of J&K Registration of Tourist Trade Act (1978/82).
The Department of Tourism has Tourist Offices in all the tourist resorts of the
UT. In addition, there are 6 promotional offices outside the UT, one each at New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. Also, there is one provincial Director of Tourism each for Jammu and Kashmir Divisions. The Department also has Engineering Division under its control for the implementation and execution of various schemes for formulating and monitoring the plan schemes, the Department has a Planning Wing and for overall marketing and promotion, the Department has a Publicity Wing.
For safeguarding the interests of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir, the UT has enacted a special legislation titled the "Jammu and Kashmir Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1978/1982". Under this act, all the Tourist Officers posted in different resorts have been vested with special powers as Prescribed Authorities to register and regulate the tourist trade in their respective areas of jurisdiction, and to look into complaints from tourists visiting the State, the Department has an Enforcement Wing headed by a Superintendent of Police on deputation from the Police Department who is designated as Deputy Director Tourism (Enforcement). For cases requiring prosecution, written complaint of a tourist is admissible as evidence even if he may have left the State.
The commercial activities in the tourism sector from the Government side are looked after by a public sector corporation know as the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (J&K TDC). It operates and manages Government accommodation in Tourist Centers at Srinagar and Jammu, and the Tourist Complexes, Hotels and Tourist bungalows in various resorts. The Corporation also runs a Travel Division, which organizes package tours to various parts of the State and also arranges transport facilities for the tourists. Visit www.jktdc.co.in.
Other related organizations of the Tourism Department are:
- The Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation (J&KSCCC)
- The Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).