Jammu: Secretary Tourism Avny Lavasa on Friday reviewed preparations for the second edition of the Jammu Marathon 2027 and called for a destination-specific calendar of tourism events and festivals to promote the region’s diverse cultural heritage, natural attractions and adventure tourism potential.
During a review meeting, Lavasa assessed the publicity and promotional activities of the Tourism Department and discussed the roadmap for the upcoming marathon and other tourism events planned across the Jammu region.
Director Tourism, Jammu, Vikas Gupta, presented an overview of the department’s ongoing promotional activities, tourism festivals and proposed preparations for the second edition of the marathon.
The meeting reviewed various aspects of the event, including planning, mobilisation of participants, sponsorship arrangements, media outreach, promotional partnerships and race-day management.
Emphasising the need to build on the experience of the inaugural edition, Lavasa called for developing the Jammu Marathon into a major annual sporting event with national appeal, positioning Jammu as an emerging destination for sports tourism.
She stressed the need for a comprehensive publicity strategy to maximise participation and visibility, involving print and electronic media, social media campaigns, outdoor advertising, influencer collaborations, running clubs, educational institutions and corporate organisations.
The Secretary Tourism also reviewed preparations for upcoming tourism festivals and promotional events at various destinations across the Jammu region. She called for organising destination-specific cultural festivals, adventure tourism activities and promotional programmes at Patnitop, Sanasar, Bhaderwah, Sarthal, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri, Poonch and other tourist locations.
She directed the department to prepare a structured calendar of events for major tourist destinations, ensuring that promotional activities reflect the distinct cultural identity, natural beauty and adventure tourism opportunities of each location.
Lavasa also stressed the need to develop traditional festivals such as Lohri, Baisakhi and Shivratri as established tourism attractions. She called for advance planning, participation of local stakeholders, professional event management and focused media campaigns to attract visitors during these celebrations.
The meeting also discussed measures to strengthen coordination among different departments and ensure the timely implementation of proposed tourism activities.
Joint Director Tourism Jammu Aijaz Qaiser Malik, Additional Secretary Tourism Owais Mushtaq, Deputy Director Pankaj Sassan, Assistant Directors and the Accounts Officer participated in the deliberations, besides other officials of the Tourism Department.
