Srinagar, Sep 22: The Tourism Department has drawn up a comprehensive plan to develop and promote tourism in Jammu Division, targeting its positioning as a year-round destination nationally and internationally through diversification across pilgrimage, heritage, adventure, eco, nature, rural, cultural, wellness and leisure tourism, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a starred question by BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi of Jammu East, the Chief Minister, who holds the tourism portfolio, said the department is pursuing developmental interventions and sustained promotion to diversify Jammu’s tourism product.
Major destinations taken up for development include Suchetgarh, Shiv Khori, Sudhmahadev, Patnitop, Basholi, Bhaderwah/Gatha, Mansar, Baradari, Kesari Hills and Behra/Qasab, with a separate list of new and emerging destinations enclosed as Annexure-A to decongest existing tourist centres.
On promotion, CM Omar said 110 events and festivals were facilitated or attended between April 2025 and March 2026, and 43 more between April and August 2026—153 in all over 17 months—backed by district-wise publicity material and digital campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and X.
He said the department represented Jammu’s tourism at national platforms including GITB Jaipur, TTF Ahmedabad, IATO Convention Puri, ITM Jaipur, IITE Madurai, SATTE-2026 New Delhi and ITM Dehradun, and internationally at IFTM Top Resa Paris, World Travel Market London and ITB Singapore.
On the tourism circuit connecting religious, heritage and natural sites, the Chief Minister said five pilgrimage circuits were sanctioned under the Capex Plan 2020-21: Mansar (Phase-1) at Rs 981.48 lakh, Shiv Khori at Rs 313.91 lakh, Uttervehni at Rs 850.33 lakh, Purmandal at Rs 981.57 lakh, and Sukrala at Rs 391.65 lakh, together about Rs 35.19 crore.
Omar said 29 works are currently ongoing under these circuits at an approved cost of Rs 514.38 lakh, and that their completion is expected to generate local employment through homestays, tourist guides and related services.
On funding, CM Omar said Jammu Division’s tourism allocation rose from Rs 5,649.80 lakh in 2023-24 to Rs 6,115.08 lakh in 2024-25 and Rs 6,285.43 lakh in 2025-26, with project-wise details enclosed as Annexure-B.
For Jammu East constituency specifically, allocation was Rs 212 lakh in 2023-24, rose to Rs 227.67 lakh in 2024-25, then fell to Rs 141.27 lakh in 2025-26.
