The Jammu & Kashmir Environment Department has pushed a proposal to the government for constituting a J&K Eco-Tourism Board to recommend measures and identify potential sites for promotion of Eco-Tourism in the state. Sources said the proposal was under the consideration of the General Administration Department (GAD) and a final decision in this regard was likely to be taken in near future.
As per a report by Greater Kashmir,
the proposal for creation of the Eco-Tourism Development Board was sent to the GAD before the annual Darbar move from Jammu to Srinagar. “J&K has great potential for Eco-Tourism. The government has taken the issue seriously and is making every effort to ensure a major breakthrough in the promotion of Eco-Tourism. The creation of the J&K Eco-Tourism Development Board will prove a major step forward in this direction,” sources said, adding that a fully-fledged board would be created after the proposal received the GAD’s nod. They revealed that the Board would have members from the Tourism, Wildlife, Environment and Forest departments, besides experts from various fields. “The officials of the Planning and Finance departments and members of some NGO’s will also be among the Board members. The Board will identify the areas and their feasibility for the promotion of Eco-Tourism” they said. “Eco-Tourism activities create economic opportunities that make conservation and protection of natural resources advantageous to the local people. After the constitution of the Board, facilities such as construction of huts, nature trails, treks, view points, safari drives and nature interpretation centres will be created in the identified areas” they said. The Eco-tourism project also provides for training locals in identified areas as guides for visiting tourists. “The locals will be trained and in that way they would also get employment opportunities, besides the people will also earn by offering accommodation facilities to visitors,” they said.
Click here to see the original article>the proposal for creation of the Eco-Tourism Development Board was sent to the GAD before the annual Darbar move from Jammu to Srinagar. “J&K has great potential for Eco-Tourism. The government has taken the issue seriously and is making every effort to ensure a major breakthrough in the promotion of Eco-Tourism. The creation of the J&K Eco-Tourism Development Board will prove a major step forward in this direction,” sources said, adding that a fully-fledged board would be created after the proposal received the GAD’s nod. They revealed that the Board would have members from the Tourism, Wildlife, Environment and Forest departments, besides experts from various fields. “The officials of the Planning and Finance departments and members of some NGO’s will also be among the Board members. The Board will identify the areas and their feasibility for the promotion of Eco-Tourism” they said. “Eco-Tourism activities create economic opportunities that make conservation and protection of natural resources advantageous to the local people. After the constitution of the Board, facilities such as construction of huts, nature trails, treks, view points, safari drives and nature interpretation centres will be created in the identified areas” they said. The Eco-tourism project also provides for training locals in identified areas as guides for visiting tourists. “The locals will be trained and in that way they would also get employment opportunities, besides the people will also earn by offering accommodation facilities to visitors,” they said.