How tourist village network can boost rural economy across J&K?

Tourist village network | The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is known all over the world for Tourism and the tourism sector is one of the main contributors to the GDP of J&K. The Tourism Industry earns huge foreign exchange and provides employment to the thousands of unemployed youth.

What is Tourist Village Network program?

In order to strengthen and tap the potential of the tourism sector here, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has launched the Tourist Village Network program under Mission Youth to ensure balanced and equitable development of tourism sector across the length and breadth of the UT. The government has launched this program to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of Independence under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

• Under this initiative, the government aims to rejuvenate and transform more than 75 villages in the union territory.
• This will give a facelift to the 75 villages that are already famous for their historical background, picturesque landscape and cultural importance.
• This initiative is destined to promote homestays across the UT.
• It will strengthen the rural economy in the region, turn youth into entrepreneurs and empower women by offering numerous opportunities of employment.
• Administration will recognize the uniqueness of each village and showcase the landscape, foster the indigenous knowledge system and promote cultural diversity and heritage of these villages.
• Tourist Village Network program also aimed to promote shooting of films and offering financial aid to the villages for their sustainable development.
• Destinations which lag behind in sphere of tourism infrastructure, can overcome the downsides by introducing homestays as a means of accommodation facilities for the tourists which do not require heavy investment.
• To Explore new markets for handicrafts and handlooms of UT for which it is known all over the world.
• To ensure participation of women in economic activities and decision making at the grass root level and will serve the purpose of eliminating gender discrimination and gender bias, making the society more equitable and progressive.

If taken in the right earnest, the concept of tourist village network can be icebreaker to tap the potential of destinations like North kashmir, Rajouri-Poonch belt, Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah belt, Basantgarh and Billawar belt etc which have remained untouched till date.

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp and Subscribe to our YouTube channel. For suggestions and writeups mail us at [email protected]