SRINAGAR: The development of tourism sector was possible only in a peaceful and secure environment, J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday, adding that ordinary citizens in Kashmir were taking a stand against terrorism, which meant that the people wanted peace and development.Addressing a tourism secretaries’ conference in Srinagar, Sinha said while security forces had a huge role in combating terrorism in J&K, the role of society was no less. “Terrorists’ attempt to draw their sustenance from society should be foiled,” he said.“Street protests against Pakistan-backed terrorists is a good sign to establish permanent peace in the Valley. Entire Jammu and Kashmir must rise and make sure terrorists have no place in this beautiful Union Territory,” Sinha said.Union minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, was also present on the occasion.The LG said the conference was a befitting reply to terrorism and reflected J&K’s march towards peace, progress and prosperity. “God has truly been generous to Jammu and Kashmir. This land, adorned with snow-capped peaks, shimmering lakes, apple-laden orchards, temples and rolling meadows, is a living canvas of natural beauty, spirituality and peace,” he said.Stressing that J&K’s tourism sector had undergone a phenomenal transformation in the last few years, Sinha said: “We have strengthened traditional tourism circuits and expanded tourism’s horizon. We have ensured that the benefits of tourism reach every corner of the UT and transform lives.”Sinha said the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting held in the UT was a defining moment that helped in building J&K’s brand in global tourism. This was followed by major international and national events, which presented J&K as “a destination for luxury, film, entertainment and global engagement”, he added.The administration was committed to promoting sustainable tourism under SPREAD (Strategic Promotion and Revamping of Emerging Alternate Destinations in J&K), the LG said. “This strategy aims to mitigate environmental pressure by diversifying tourist activities to lesser-known and emerging destinations.”The government hoped to bring nine emerging destinations on the tourism map and provide direct employment to at least five lakh people in the first year, Sinha said.
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