Amid cold in the valley, adventure lovers from across the country have gathered in Srinagar for a three-day convention. The 17th Adventure Tour Operators Association of India convention is aimed at reviving tourism in the Valley ahead of expected snowfall in the coming days.
It's the first major event by tour operators from different parts of the country to deliberate on a tourism roadmap in Kashmir after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April, which delivered a huge blow to the tourism sector.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is inaugurating the conclave at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, has thanked ATOAI for choosing Srinagar as the venue for the 17th annual convention.
Recently, while unveiling the curtain raiser of the event at Gulmarg, Abdullah said that adventure tourism in India cannot be imagined without Jammu and Kashmir.
"When you talk about adventure tourism in India, you just can't do it without mentioning Jammu and Kashmir. Here, people would ski in Gulmarg when the rest of the country had no idea about skiing. Now we feel the rest of the country has moved ahead, and the situation in Kashmir has pushed us backward," said Abdullah.
Besides several tourism spots, all the trekking routes in Kashmir were closed after the Pahalgam attack as part of preventive security measures. While restrictions may have been lifted from several places, the situation has shaken tourist confidence, and the arrival of visitors has sharply dropped over the last 8 months.
Now, as the convention of tour operators from across the country deliberates on the tourism roadmap in Kashmir, the three-day event will also mark a partial resumption of adventure tourism. Officials say delegates will also go for trekking in Pahalgam and some other routes that were closed after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
"Adventure tourism was also badly affected because all our trekking routes were closed - all the related activities like paragliding, rafting and ziplining came to a standstill. Now we are upbeat that the coming season will be alright, as so many people and tour operators from across the country are deliberating here and sending a message that Kashmir is very much safe," said Rouf Tramboo, co-chairman of ATOAI, Kashmir chapter.
The Kashmir stag, commonly known as Hangul in the Valley, is the official mascot of the 17th ATOAI convention. Organisers say Hangul represents courage and resilience, and the convention is aimed at overcoming odds.
