Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for a shift from volume-driven to value-based tourism, saying there is a need to develop Jammu and Kashmir as a sustainable tourism destination and regulate the flow of visitors.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Conclave on Sustainable Tourism Planning – Designing Tourism for Tomorrow, organised by the Department of Tourism at the SKICC here, Abdullah called for a paradigm shift in Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism strategy.
He urged policymakers, industry stakeholders and local communities to move beyond volume-driven tourism towards a value-based and sustainable tourism model that safeguards the region’s fragile ecology while ensuring long-term economic prosperity.
The chief minister said that tourism devoid of sustainability inevitably leads to long-term decline.
“Tourism without sustainability is an unqualified disaster. It may survive for a few years, but it cannot endure in the long run unless sustainability is built into its very foundation,” he said.
Advocating premium tourism experiences, the CM said value-based tourism enables destinations to earn more while reducing environmental stress and improving visitor experiences.
“Value tourism is sustainable tourism. Our responsibility is to create conditions where local people earn better incomes while ensuring that tourism remains environmentally and economically sustainable for generations to come,” he added.
He said the conclave had been organised at a crucial juncture when Jammu and Kashmir was reassessing its tourism vision and determining whether its future lay in attracting an ever-growing number of visitors or creating greater value from a more sustainable tourism economy.
“We have to decide whether we wish to earn by charging one hundred tourists one rupee each, or by creating an experience where one tourist is willing to pay one hundred rupees. The answer to that question must shape all our future tourism master plans,” the CM said.
Welcoming the surge in the number of tourists visiting J-K, Abdullah said that for the future, the tourist flow may need to be regulated so that not only the tourist resorts are protected, but the tourists also enjoy in a serene environment rather than having to go through harrowing experience of traffic jams, poor facilities and over-crowding.
Calling for a scientific assessment of the carrying capacity of individual tourist destinations, he said each location possesses unique ecological sensitivities that must determine future visitor management strategies.
“Srinagar may comfortably accommodate far more visitors than ecologically fragile destinations such as Gulmarg or Gurez. We cannot adopt a uniform approach for every destination,” he said.
Referring to last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, the CM said that before the incident, there was traffic congestion caused by huge tourist inflow, but after the attack, we were worried because hotels and destinations had become empty.
“This reminds us how fragile tourism can be in Jammu & Kashmir, where a single incident can affect the whole season,” he added.
The chief minister also emphasised scientific solid waste management, saying environmental degradation cannot simply be attributed to tourists.
Referring to ongoing waste removal efforts in Dal Lake, he said that a significant portion of waste originates from local habitations, making community participation equally important.
He also stressed the need to eliminate single-use plastic and promote responsible civic behaviour.
“The government has a responsibility to manage waste, but citizens too have an equal responsibility. Unless we begin treating Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Dal Lake as we treat our own homes, sustainability will remain elusive,” he said.
