Urgent need to upgrade winter sport infrastructure: Jora
Abid Khan
Srinagar, Feb 3: With fresh fall of snow J&K Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora inaugurated the much awaited annual two-day Gulmarg Snow festival amid much fanfare at the world famous ski resort Gulmarg on Tuesday.
The department is organizing the festival from last four years in order top woo the tourists from all over world to the ski resort. The event was scheduled to be organized on Christmas Eve on December 24 and 25 last year but due to certain reasons it got number of delays and finally started on Tuesday. In the festival there are number of attractions for wooing winter sport lovers like snow cycling, snow rugby, skiing, ice-skating, ice-hockey, skido race, ski-cross country race, sledge race and snow boarding. Besides the sporting events, many cultural programmes are also being held to entertain the tourists.
Tourism Minister who was chief guest on the occasion said that there is an urgent need to develop Gulmarg up to the international standards on which we will chalk out strategy soon.
He said, “It is no hidden truth that the facilities and infrastructure here in Gulmarg is no match to international standards. If we want more and more tourists to come to Gulmarg we need to develop it by increasing the facilities for skiers”. “ This year the number of foreign tourists is around 200 and that is very low. That I think mostly due to the Mumbai incident.”
About the festival he said that this year the festival is being organized on low scale and that probably was due to the elections and the other administrative hiccups.
“ From last many years snow festival has been the main tourist attraction but this year it is on low key affair. There are number of reasons for that but the main reason was elections” he said. “Despite that we had laucnhced massive media campaign in national television channels for promotion of this festival and we think we have succeeded in our agenda by attracting tourists especially for festival.”
Minister also said that promotion and upgrading of winter sports infrastructure need lot of funds and for that he has discussed things with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
He said “We need lot of things for making Gulmarg world class winter sports attraction and for that I have discussed things with Chief Minister and he has assured me that all possible things would be done to promote our best winter sports destination”. “ it is has been only 20 or more days for me in the tourism ministry but in future I assure you that the difference and change would be visible to all.”
The day began with the demonstration matches of ice-skating and ice hockey in the Gulmarg, Ice Rink that were watched by large number of spectators which include the trainees who are organizing skiing courses through. After that Minister flagged off the Snow Cycling race at Gulmarg Ski-Shop.
From Ice-Rink the got shifted to Gulmarg club were the demonstration matches of Snow Rugby, martial art, sledge race, skido race was being held.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Director Tourism, Farooq Shah said that the festival is being organized to demonstrate our winter sports and tourism potential to world.
He said, “The aim is to attract more and more participants for winter sports as well as the tourists for whom Gulmarg has always been a dream winter destination. It is as that the activities have not being going on here from last two months, they have been going on in full swing”. “We have many events like ice skating, ice hockey, snow rugby, snow cycling, snow bike racing and martial arts on the schedule.”
About Gulmarg and flow of tourists he said, “ Gulmarg is the cheapest winter sports destination in the world and we are getting queries from far and wide across the world. The flow of tourists this year has not been that huge due to certain reasons but still it is good.”
The festival will continue on Wednesday and many competitions of skiing would be held.
Abid Khan
Srinagar, Feb 3: With fresh fall of snow J&K Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora inaugurated the much awaited annual two-day Gulmarg Snow festival amid much fanfare at the world famous ski resort Gulmarg on Tuesday.
The department is organizing the festival from last four years in order top woo the tourists from all over world to the ski resort. The event was scheduled to be organized on Christmas Eve on December 24 and 25 last year but due to certain reasons it got number of delays and finally started on Tuesday. In the festival there are number of attractions for wooing winter sport lovers like snow cycling, snow rugby, skiing, ice-skating, ice-hockey, skido race, ski-cross country race, sledge race and snow boarding. Besides the sporting events, many cultural programmes are also being held to entertain the tourists.
Tourism Minister who was chief guest on the occasion said that there is an urgent need to develop Gulmarg up to the international standards on which we will chalk out strategy soon.
He said, “It is no hidden truth that the facilities and infrastructure here in Gulmarg is no match to international standards. If we want more and more tourists to come to Gulmarg we need to develop it by increasing the facilities for skiers”. “ This year the number of foreign tourists is around 200 and that is very low. That I think mostly due to the Mumbai incident.”
About the festival he said that this year the festival is being organized on low scale and that probably was due to the elections and the other administrative hiccups.
“ From last many years snow festival has been the main tourist attraction but this year it is on low key affair. There are number of reasons for that but the main reason was elections” he said. “Despite that we had laucnhced massive media campaign in national television channels for promotion of this festival and we think we have succeeded in our agenda by attracting tourists especially for festival.”
Minister also said that promotion and upgrading of winter sports infrastructure need lot of funds and for that he has discussed things with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
He said “We need lot of things for making Gulmarg world class winter sports attraction and for that I have discussed things with Chief Minister and he has assured me that all possible things would be done to promote our best winter sports destination”. “ it is has been only 20 or more days for me in the tourism ministry but in future I assure you that the difference and change would be visible to all.”
The day began with the demonstration matches of ice-skating and ice hockey in the Gulmarg, Ice Rink that were watched by large number of spectators which include the trainees who are organizing skiing courses through. After that Minister flagged off the Snow Cycling race at Gulmarg Ski-Shop.
From Ice-Rink the got shifted to Gulmarg club were the demonstration matches of Snow Rugby, martial art, sledge race, skido race was being held.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Director Tourism, Farooq Shah said that the festival is being organized to demonstrate our winter sports and tourism potential to world.
He said, “The aim is to attract more and more participants for winter sports as well as the tourists for whom Gulmarg has always been a dream winter destination. It is as that the activities have not being going on here from last two months, they have been going on in full swing”. “We have many events like ice skating, ice hockey, snow rugby, snow cycling, snow bike racing and martial arts on the schedule.”
About Gulmarg and flow of tourists he said, “ Gulmarg is the cheapest winter sports destination in the world and we are getting queries from far and wide across the world. The flow of tourists this year has not been that huge due to certain reasons but still it is good.”
The festival will continue on Wednesday and many competitions of skiing would be held.
published in greater kashmir on ............febuary 4: link : http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=4_2_2009&ItemID=2&cat=4
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