Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah Calls for Sustainable Value‑Based Tourism Shift

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged Jammu and Kashmir to move from a volume‑driven tourism model to a value‑based, sustainable approach. Speaking at the Sustainable Tourism Conclave in Srinagar, he said tourism without sustainability is “an unqualified disaster” and that the region must decide whether to earn by charging many tourists a small fee or fewer tourists a higher fee.

Abdullah highlighted the need for comprehensive planning to address traffic congestion, parking, waste management, water scarcity and unchecked construction at key destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Dal Lake. He cited last year’s security incident and the subsequent collapse of tourist flows as proof of the sector’s fragility. The CM suggested measures like an entry fee for non‑local vehicles and stressed that policies must be developed with stakeholder consultation to protect the region’s natural beauty while improving local incomes.