JAMMU, MARCH 20- “There is a need to create awareness among the stakeholders that preserving the ecology and grandeur of our land is linked with our economic prosperity”, this was stated by the Minister for Education, Mr. Nayeem Akhter after inaugurating the International Conference on Sustainable Destination Excellence : Rebuilding from Crisis and Disasters at Jammu University today.
The two days International Conference has been organized by the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management University of Jammu, J&K.
The Minister stressed that community participation can play a vital role in promoting tourist destinations in the state and main thrust should be on generating awareness among the stakeholders for ensuring minimum depletion of resources and maximum sustainable development.
He also said that we are living in times where economy is the driving force and tourism is considered as a tool for inclusive growth of local communities, so it becomes imperative to link tourism with the prospect of economic growth of the communities and empowering them, the minister added
The Minister said that it is need of the hour to make people understand that live tree is economically more beneficial to them than the timber they get out of it and ecological balance should not be disturbed for our vested interests.
He said that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is the most bio diverse basket that God has created and it is the most distinct tourism product in the world. The Minister maintained that the state is bestowed with the immense natural beauty where every village can become a tourism destination and for this we need to spread out of the traditional areas to attract the tourists for promoting rural tourism.
Assuring every possible help from the government in creating environmental consciousness among the people, the Minister suggested that the faculty should undertake case studies of certain tourist potential destinations and make environment assessment studies of those areas as disaster impacts are growing due to rapid growth and unsustainable development practices that tend to increase the exposure and vulnerabilities of communities and capital assets. He suggested the faculty members to form groups of volunteers and activists who can aware the people regarding the need to preserve and conserve our ecological heritage.
Earlier Prof. R.D Sharma Vice Chancellor University of Jammu in his address said that this international conference has been organised for academicians and practitioners to exchange knowledge and experience on the way to handle the increasing risk of natural and manmade disasters. He also said that this conference will pave the way forward towards the future development of the subject and motivate young researchers to work in the area of Tourism Management.
A compendium on the proceedings of the conference was also released by the Minister and the other dignitaries present on the occasion.
Among others those who were present in the conference and shared their views on the theme include Farooq Ahmad Shah MD JKTDC and Director Tourism Kashmir, Prof. P.S Manhas Director SHTM University of Jammu, Prof. Keshav Sharma Dean Faculty of Business Studies, Prof. Kaslom Kayat University of Utara, Malaysia, and Dr. Anil Gupta Conference secretary.