Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism department is all set to re-open Nageen Club after two decades, reviving the memories of 1940 when the British instituted it to promote social interaction and recreation.
Thanks to the initiative of the Department of Tourism and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Nageen Club is all set to regain its past glory.
Located at the valley’s famous Nageen Lake, the club was once the pride of Srinagar with a large number of houseboats and beautiful Chinar trees all around.
The club will have a banquet hall, restaurant, tennis court, a squash court and a health club. Everything will be available under one roof in this club.
“I can use one sentence that the paradise has been regained. There are several facilities and we have been trying to develop some new facilities which would be good for the tourists and required in a place like Kashmir. Nageen Club is also one such facility. Tourism Department has taken over the club,” said Sarmad Hafeez, Joint Director for Kashmir Tourism.
“Our work is going on and hopefully by next month, we will have the club ready,” he added.
The restoration and revival of the Nageen Club complex would cost rupees 70 million to the exchequer and has been approved by Jammu and Kashmir government.
Under the ongoing project, besides redoing the club’s building, the vast expanse of lawns spreading over 35 canals are being developed and two public parks laid out near the Ashaibagh Bridge.
Local residents have hailed the step. The believe that it would not only help in restoring the old glory but would also provide ample scopes of employment for local youths and contribute to economy of the valley.
“We feel that it would be better than earlier times. The way work is going on here and the interest that the State tourism department is showing towards it looks to be even better,” opined Mehrajudin Shah, a resident.
Residents believe the Nageen club after opening would draw more tourists to the valley.
“It would be very good. As the tourists would come here it would benefit all of us. They will spend money here and the income of Shikarawalas, taxiwallas and hotel owners would increase. They would even open up employment opportunities,” said Ghulam Mohidin, another resident.
The development of Nandpora Festival Area across the Nageen Lake is also a part of the project where facilities would be created for artisans on the pattern of Surajkund in Haryana where an annual Mela (fair) is an event of international significance.
The reopening is believed to strengthen tourism in Kashmir.
A five-member team of International Mountaineering Federation (IMF) in association with the tourism department of Kashmir promotes trekking destinations in the state.
The relief and terrain of Kashmir offers exciting opportunities for mountaineering in the state. Mountaineering as an adventure sports is fast catching up with tourists coming to the Kashmir valley.
For adventure sports enthusiasts, the scenic sylvan beauty of the Kashmir valley offers exciting adventure holiday prospects.
“They were out in the mountains, trekking and camping, getting a first hand feel of their experience in Kashmir. And as you can see, they went back very happy and we are very hopeful that they will carry the message across the world to mountaineers and trekkers that mountain routes are opened, our trekking routes are opened and what great opportunity people have to come and enjoy the sport in Kashmir,” said Sarmad Hafeez, Joint Director Tourism Department.
The IMF team of five members was here to assist the tourism department in promoting trekking destinations for which the team had detailed discussions.
“We are here following the invitation of the IMF and the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Board who have given us a wonderful glimpse of the luxury of living in Kashmir on a houseboat. But I personally feel that it is a very good idea before one goes to experience the thrill of the mountains and the simple offer we have is to bring our technical expertise to the development of mountain tourism,” observed Robert Pettigrew, President of Access and Conservation Commission.
The team also visited some high altitude trekking places including Aru Pahalgam and is expected to help boost tourism in the valley.
The Kashmir valley abounds in mountaineering destinations as the mighty Himalayas towering 10,000 to 28, 0000 feet above sea level, offers breathtaking vistas surrounding the entire valley.
There are several options for mountaineering in Kashmir since a host of famous peaks including Kolahoi (known as the Matterhorn of Kashmir), Harmukh, Tattakuti, Sunset (highest peak in the Pir Panjal range) and a number of small peaks in Sonamarg and Pahalgam are located in this region.
Kashmir region is going through a phase of economic transformation and sustaining tourism in the state is vital since it is the mainstay of the state’s economy.
Aviation sector has registered over 10 per cent growth in the number of domestic passengers in April, when 38.92 lakh people chose air travel compared with 35.82 lakh in the same month last year.
Private carrier Jet Airways flew 8.39 lakh passengers in April, garnering the largest share of 21.6 per cent, an official release stated.
State-run Air India was at second position, carrying 5.86 lakh passengers with 15.1 per cent share. Kingfisher was next with 5.58 lakh passengers. Simplifly Deccan flew 5.30 lakh people during the month. Other carriers like Jet Lite, SpiceJet, Paramount, Go Air, IndiGo flew 3.11 lakh, 3.94 lakh, 0.48 lakh, 1.80 lakh and 4.46 lakh passengers in the month.
Air India was at the top position with over 21 per cent share in April last year. Air traffic in the country in the first three months of the current calender year had grown by 11 per cent compared to about 29 per cent in the last calender year, according to a study by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.
With more hits from countries like China, Germany and Japan, the Incredible India website, the country’s popular tourism campaign, has moved from the 100,000 rank to 25,000 in the World Wide Web Space.
Believing in the power of the Internet, the tourism ministry revamped its website to make its Incredible India campaign popular in India and abroad. It was first launched in December 2004.
“Our consistent efforts in the last three years have yielded visible results in terms of the Incredible India site being ranked at 25,000th place,” a tourism ministry official said Monday.
The website, which was ranked 124,000th in October 2007 moved up to 100,000 place, before it climbed up to 25,000, the official added. The World wide Web Space ranks the sites according to the number of hits they receive.
The website gives detailed information about the spots that could be visited and the various facets of tourism from adventure tourism to eco tourism and royal retreats.
However, the maximum hits were for rural tourism.
For the first time, rural India was promoted as a tourist destination on the Internet, the official said.
“The traffic to our site www.incredibleindia.org has increased significantly with feedback from countries like China, Germany and Japan,” he added.
The Incredible India campaign was launched with the aim to promote and market the rich heritage of India to make it the number one destination for tourists.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Citibank India have launched a 2-in-1 transit credit card known as the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card (DMCCC).
In addition to featuring a Citibank credit card and a contactless metro smart card, the DMCCC also allows cardholders to collect reward points that can be redeemed for free metro rides at Citibank point of sale terminals. It also offers double reward points for metro spending.
The card will also give holders discounts in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), fuel surcharge waivers at Indian Oil (IOC) outlets as well as a number of unique deals with some of Delhi’s biggest brands.
