Gulmarg, Sep 18: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday voiced strong displeasure with tourism stakeholders, accusing them of failing to support his government’s promotional initiatives and staying silent during political attacks on the sector.
Speaking at a closed-door meeting of travel agents after inaugurating the state-of-the-art Gulmarg Convention Centre, Abdullah said he was disappointed that no one from the industry came to his defence when opposition parties criticised the government’s tourism policies.
Abdullah, who also holds the tourism portfolio, highlighted various initiatives taken under his leadership, including a cycling festival in Pahalgam and other promotional programmes launched after the April 22 terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. However, he said he felt “let down” by stakeholders who did not publicly back these efforts.
He further warned that lease agreements of hotels across key destinations—Jammu, Katra, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Srinagar, and Gulmarg—would be scrutinised in the coming months to ensure compliance.
Sources said the CM was also upset over what he described as “selective leakage” of official orders to the media and criticised stakeholders for their silence during the controversy surrounding his scheduled Paris visit, which he clarified was instead represented by officials and travel associations.
“The state’s economy has always relied heavily on tourism. Its revival depends on public and private stakeholders working together,” Abdullah said, stressing the need for greater industry cooperation.