Srinagar: The state government on Tuesday said that over 1.2 million (12 lakh) tourist, 26000 of them foreigners, visited Jammu and Kashmir last year.
“Tourism is the mainstay of our economy. Around 1.2 million tourists, including over 26,000 foreigners, visited the State during 2017, despite unrest in the Valley and less than fair reporting by certain sections of the media. Further, more than 8 million pilgrims paid obeisance at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine while about 2.60 lakh yatris visited Shri Amarnathji Shrine last year,” governor N N Vohra said in his address to joint sitting of state legislature in Jammu.
“Government will take all required steps to ensure that tourists from far and wide find their way back to the State. Towards this end, all infrastructural bottlenecks will be removed and the State’s strengths in this sector will be positively leveraged to not only build the required capacities but to also address the perception issues,” he said.