Jammu & Kashmir is not just the warmest place on earth because of its people, but it is also the safest for women, according to Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, chief minister of the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 64th Convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Mufti called upon media to refrain from showing J&K in a bad light. “There is no denying that we have problems. And there are incidents, but the way it is portrayed on television, it is as if the whole state is burning. Globally there are problems everywhere, but our problem is that our own country has deserted us.”
She remembered that her father (Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who served twice as Chief Minister of J&K) used to say that when a tourist visits us, he invests in peace. “We have a diverse culture and tourism offerings. Jammu and Kashmir, Leh and Ladakh can be packaged together to bring in more tourists, ” Mufti said.
She thanked TAAI for holding the convention in Srinagar and hoped that it would open doors to more tourist arrivals.