JAMMU, Feb 16:   All significant tourist destinations in the Jammu region have been given no space and are not included on the official website of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, according to official sources.

In this regard, Director Tourism, Jammu, Vivekanand Rai, when approached by Rising Kashmir, acknowledged that the "problem is there and they are attempting to fix it out".

 Surprisingly, the majority of Jammu's tourism department employees are unaware that they lack access to the J&K Tourism Department's official website, which does not feature any of the city's tourist attractions. 

An officer of the tourism department asked for anonymity, said,  "How can you expect tourism promotion in J&K UT when despite all efforts by the J&K government, there is no mention of not even a single tourist destination of the Jammu region in the official website of the department? There are so many tourist destinations all across Jammu region, right from Doda and Kishtwar at one end to Rajouri and Poonch at the other end of Jammu region.’’

If  promoted, these tourist destinations will boost economy of J&K as whole in a bigger way, he said.

The Director told Rising Kashmir, "There are some issues and we are working to resolve them so that tourist destinations of the Jammu region are also reflected and mentioned in the official website of the Tourism Department of J&K. The problem is due to the fact that there are two separate Directorates in J&K, namely Director Tourism Jammu and Director Tourism Kashmir’’. 

However, a senior officer at Jammu questioned, “Who is calling the shots and what is the reason that in the official website of J&K’s Tourism Department, Jammu’s destinations have not been  given any space”.  

The tourism sites of Jammu like Balidan Stambh, Ambaran Bhudist sites, Gharana Wetland, Suchetgarh Border, Bawe Wali Mata Shrine, the ancient Raghunath Mandir in Jammu City, Chichi Mata at Samba, Purmandal-Utterbahini, Jambo Zoo, Guru Nanak Gurudwara, Krimchi Temples, Kol Kandoli Temple at Nagrota, Vaishno Mata, Chamliyal Shrine and other major tourist destinations of Jammu region have not been given any space or for that matter have not been mentioned as tourist destinations of J&K in the official website of the J&K Tourism Department.