Tourism
The Department of Tourism in Jammu & Kashmir is a promotional and regulatory organization. In 1988, the State Government specified the duties and functions of the Directorate of J&K Tourism as well as J&K Tourism Development Corporation.
The Department carries out the task of overall planning, promotion, publicity and marketing regulation of travel trade in terms of J&K registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1978/82.

Importance of Tourism in the State's Economy

• Great potential for employment generation, even for people without specialized skills.
• Potential Employment Opportunities for skilled persons.
• Provides direct employment to various service providers i.e. Guides, Ponywallas, Sledgewallas, Travel Agents; Jobs in Hotels/Houseboats .
• Provides impetus to allied sectors like Handicrafts, Handlooms and Transport.
• Indirect and income augmentation activities for the people in vicinity of established resorts i.e. Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg during peak tourist seasons.
• Capacity to provide Jobs in the unorganized sector.
• Showcasing State's unique and rich cultural and heritage assets.

Tourist Arrivals

• The year 2013 maintained the tempo of boom of tourist inflow, seen in Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh regions.
• The tourist arrivals during the last 6 years are given hereunder:-

Strategy for Tourism Sector as envisaged in Tourism Policy

• Circuit Tourism
• Season based tourism
• Development of tourism infrastructure.
• Development/ promotion of off-beat destinations
• Improved accessibility to the tourist destinations
• Diversification/ innovation in the tourism products
• Marketing and promotional tools
• Human Resource Development and Capacity enhancement
• Inter-linkage among various department.
• Sustainable tourism and carrying capacity
• Public Private Partnership
• Research and survey wing
• Incentive and taxes
• Safety and security and disaster/crisis management
• Targets and timelines.

State Plan

Year wise Central Financial Assistance (CFA)

Rural Tourism Scheme

• Projects sanctioned 44 No.
• Cost of the sanctioned Projects 27.81
• Funds released         23.53
• Exp upto Jan., 2015  17.88
• Projects completed 26 No
• Projects in pipeline for sanction  9 No

13th Finance commission Award (2011-2015)
Conservation of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex at a cost of Rs 50.00 crore Components       Cost (Rs. in crore)

• Restoration & conservation of Raja Amar Singh Palace         22.06
• Restoration & conservation of Dogra Art Museum, Badi Deori, Royal Court & Gadvai Khana        19.61
• Restoration & conservation of Mahal of Raja Ram Singh's Queens  10.40
• Total: -  52.07

Ist installment of Rs. 8.51 crore released/ utilized to the implementing agency for the project by Ministry of Finance/Culture, GOI. The Utilization Certificate has been submitted to Ministry of Finance, GOI for release of next installment.

Incentive Scheme
Incentive Rules were modified and made applicable from Ist April, 2012. The Incentives available to Private Sector now have:

• Areas extended for eligibility of incentives;.
• Incentives in the shape of Capital Subsidy for Taxi Operators for Purchase of New Vehicle as well as replacement/up gradation brought upto a Ceiling of Rs. 7.0 lac;
• Increase in capital investment subsidy upto Rs. 1.00 crore for setting up of prestigious tourism units costing more than Rs 25.00 crore.
• Investment subsidy for modernization of travel agencies brought to 50% of project cost with an upper ceiling of Rs 4.00 lac.
• Ceiling of Subsidy for DG sets increased to Rs 4.00 lac.
• Ceiling of subsidy for adventure equipment increased up to Rs 7.00 lac

Opening up of New Destinations having high Tourism Potential

• 20 Destinations covered for exploitation of tourism potential in the last few years by creation of Development Authorities as against the earlier focus on five of them only;
• The off beat destination in state like Gurez, Bani-Basholi, Lolab-Bungus, Kokernag-Sinthantop, Verinag-Doda, Bhaderwah-Achabal, Poonch-Rajouri, Marigan Hills in Kishtwar, Zanaskar etc which are being developed through area specific Tourism Development Authorities will be further developed and promoted so that the tourist footfalls in equitably distributed.

Focused and Regulated Development of Major Tourist Destinations

• Following 20 Development Authorities created:

Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yousmarg, Dodpathri,Verinag, Kokernag, Leh, Kargil, Patnitop, Lakhanpur-Sarthal, Aharbal, Manasbal, Zanaskar, Rajouri, Poonch, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Surinsar-Mansar and Lolab-Bungus-Drungyari.

• Master Plans prepared for Bhaderwah, Kokernag, Yousmarg, and Sonamarg Dev. Authorities.
• Master Plans under preparation for the other destination are at various of stages of preparation.
• BOCA functioning for regulating development/ building construction.
• Long awaited Tourism Policy has been drafted and has been circulated among the stake holders and the departments for seeking their views and comments, before its adoption.

DEV. OF INFRASTRUCTURE RECENTLY

• Reconstruction of TRC Srinagar as Tourist City Centre, taken up for execution at a cost of Rs. 9.76 crore is at advance stage of completion
• Construction of TRC at Kokernag at a cost of Rs. 109.60 lac has been completed with main component such as 8 rooms, Hall etc,
• Dev of Bagh-i-Gulistan park at Jogigund Acchabal, Kokernag has been completed at a cost of Rs. 380.00 lac having components such as Huts ( 4 nos) fencing of garden, landscaping etc.
• Dev. Of Shrine Complex at Bab Reshi Tangmarg (Phase I) Gulmarg has been completed at Rs. 121.63 lac with main components like Tourist Reception Centre , Toilet Block, Parking Wayside facilities etc.
• Integrated Dev. of Bosian Bungus-Lolab -Drungyari Reshwari Gurez by Directorate of Tourism Kashmir has been completed at a cost of Rs. 486.90 lac with the components like 2 rooms Guest house ( 5 Nos), Aarmagah/Shelter Sheds, Tourist information Centre, Dev of Camping sites (3 Nos) etc.
• Dev. of Resort area at Gulmarg has been completed at a cost of Rs. 398.26 lac with main components like 2 Bed Room huts ( 13 Nos), Toilet Blocks ( 10 Nos) etc.
• Societies for Jammu Tawi Golf Course and Lidder Valley golf Course has been set up.
• Rs. 4.50 crore for SPS Museums Srinagar has been got released by Ministry of Culture GOI against the agreed allocation of Rs. 6.00 crore.
• CFA of Rs. 0.65 crore has been released for Abhinav Theatre and Tagore Hall from Ministry of Culture, GOI.
• CFA of about Rs. 35.00 crore has been released by MOT, GOI under PIDDC Scheme for creation tourist related infrastructure
• SRO 21 has been issued in supersession of SRO 88 dated 25th March 2008 has been issued by Government to exempt payment of entry tax leviable under the said Act, goods imported for construction, expansion and modernization of Hotels
• SRO 22 has been issued to exempt payment of entry tax leviable under the said act on furniture, office equipment/good imported into the State by Hotelier(s) as replacement for furniture/office equipment/goods destroyed during unprecedented floods of September 2014.