Mufti moots ‘Indian Davos’ in Gulmarg

Unveiling his plans to reposition J&K as country’s top tourist and all-season destination, J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said he cherishes to promote Gulmarg as India’s Davos, where country's top business and policymakers can hold annual summits to frame new strategies in economic development. He gave this clarion call from Mumbai’s famous Hotel Taj Lands End, where he held detailed interactive session with the country’s prominent tour and travel operators. The Chief Minister was flanked by the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh and Minister for Finance and Culture, Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu.
Drawing a parallel between Davos in Switzerland, which holds annual summits of World Economic Forum (WEF), and Gulmarg, Mufti Sayeed said the valley’s premier resort has all the required paraphernalia to host the country’s business leaders and policymakers for similar economic summits. “Gulmarg is a world-famous tourist destination. We have state-of-the-art cable car, high-end hotels, skiing and heli-skiing activities and great road connectivity. I wish we host Indian Davos at Gulmarg,” he said while seeking cooperation from one and all to change the course of J&K and remove the trust deficits.
Acknowledging the role of tour and travel players in promoting J&K especially through the recent difficult times, Mufti Sayeed said the State needs to be projected on a much bigger canvas as it offers diversity in culture, rich heritage, range of climates from the sub-tropical terrains of Jammu to the cold deserts of Ladakh, and the stunning locales of Kashmir. “I thank the tour operators of Maharashtra and Gujarat who reposed faith in us through the hard times of early and mid Nineties,” the Chief Minister said, adding various steps have been taken to go for infrastructure upgrade in the State. The Chief Minister informed the participants of the Government’s plans to go in for public-private participation through tourism sector by making available public assets for private use. Promising to end the culture of red-tape and bureaucratic impediments, Mufti Sayeed assured the tour operators of doing business with ease in J&K. “This season, you will definitely find a discernible change in how you are facilitated,” he stated.