Srinagar: Apni Party (AP) senior Vice President and former Cabinet Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir has urged the administration, and officials of the department of tourism to look into the issues and problems that the tourism sector service providers are grappling with at the world-famous tourist destination Gulmarg.
The shopkeepers, hoteliers, restaurant owners, ponywalas, tourist guides, and others who are affiliated with the tourism-related business had requested Ghulam Hassan to visit them to see the problems that they are facing due to the negligence of the concerned authorities. The Apni Party leader gave a patient hearing to the delegations. He was accompanied by the Vice President of the Apni Party’s youth wing and the DDC member from Tangmarg, Tajamul Ishfaq.
According to a press note, Mir urged the administration, especially the concerned officials from the tourism department, to ensure the genuine demands from these stakeholders are fulfilled immediately.
He said, “We are delighted to see the tourist inflow in the Valley, but the administration must ensure that the industry’s main stakeholders which are the shopkeepers, hoteliers, ponywalas, and so on, should be provided with adequate facilities so that they will be able to serve and host the tourists better.”
He added, “I heard a lot of complaints suggesting negligence on behalf of the concerned departments at Gulmarg. I believe that all these complaints, mostly related to infrastructure deficit and lack of a proper administrative system, can be easily addressed if the concerned officials spare some time in order to meet the stakeholders and hear their genuine demands. Everybody wants tourism, which is the backbone of our economy, to flourish. But the administration must realize the fact that better services and facilities for the tourists are only possible when the problems of local stakeholders are taken care of.”
Mir assured the delegations that he will bring the issues to the notice of the authorities and ensure quick redressal of their problems.
