The revival of tourism in J&K is not just about supporting the tourism ecosystem or rebuilding the infrastructure or offering travel incentives Photo credit: –
The year 2024 was a landmark for tourism in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Tourism not only reached an all -time high, but the nature of travel itself began to change. The valley welcomed a record tourist of 34.98 Lakh in 2024.
And then Pahalgam passed this year. However, terrorist attacks are not new in the valley. A set pattern can be observed in the past 35 years. A terrorist act is generally followed by the actions of security forces, political sludge and a few years of so-called healing actions, which creates incorrect perception of peace, only to be shaken by another terrorist act-and the cycle seems to survive. This time India Operation Sindoor started and showed that the terrorist infrastructure is not steadfast.
How can the tourism sector, the lifeline of J&K, get one leg upwards in such a scenario? ‘Public Private Partnership’ (PPP) can possibly provide a practical, bankable, safe and sustainable solution. In order to follow the PPP format for end-to-end tourism, J&K has to inform tourism as a priority and special service. PPP includes sharing risks and management skills. The risk-matrix for a tourism project in J&K may have taken dozens of risks into account, but the celebrities are: demand, operating and security risks.
Special purpose company
Demand and company risks should belong to the concessionaire, while security risks can be a common responsibility between the state and the concessionaire.
As soon as the concessionaires have been selected as the preferred bidder, you must set up a special purposes (SPC) to develop and manage tourism projects that are assigned to each of them.
The board of directors for such SPC should essentially have military veterans in order to plan, advise and coordinate the security aspects of the services provided by the SPC. Every layer of the service provision should have experienced elements with the required level.
Such a SPC should include all locals and non-restaurants that are required for a comfortable and safe tourism experience of one of the patrons who want to receive tourism services. The veteran elements on every level ensure timely coordination with local police and security forces and close monitoring of the excursion tours of tourists. The corporatization and digitization of tourism leads to transparency and containment of unprofessional and insecure practices that often occur by tourists.
A robust regulatory authority for the tourism sector and a quick dispute settlement mechanism must be next to the furnishing. Insurance coverage can also be extended to tourists and support employees.
The latest figures show that tourism was about 7.4 percent of GDP from J&K (Shucla, April 23, 2025). It is a considerable business and may attract the best companies from J&K and rest of the country. The participation of Pan-India companies in offer and management of the operations will be an effective step to break the alienation of the locals.
Well -equipped and well -trained SPC can then offer a really sustainable and safe tourism experience.
The revival of tourism in J&K is not just about supporting the tourism ecosystem or rebuilding the infrastructure or offering travel incentives, but requires that decisions to initiate legislative measures, to formulate guidelines and to introduce a paradigm shift in the way tourists are supervised.
It has to be professionally and the life in tourists should not be delivered to a good Samaritan under the sea of faceless locals, which are visible in all tourist places.
The PPP format is a proven path forward in which the authorities and the private individuals share risks and rewards and at the same time offer tourists the best experience during the year.
The writer is deputy chairman of the Indo-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2006-09 he worked in the valley in the valley at the deputation with Ircon. Views are personal
Published on June 7, 2025