Omar slams tourism industry over lack of support to his promotional efforts

Facing criticism over his proposed visit to Paris later this month to attend an international tourism promotional event, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday defended the trip, saying it was not a “luxury” but a strategic effort to revive the Union Territory’s tourism industry.

Earlier this week, the J&K General Administration Department approved an official delegation led by the Chief Minister to participate in a tourism event in Paris. The decision, however, drew backlash from various quarters, particularly as the horticulture sector reels under the impact of the prolonged closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Speaking at a gathering of tourism stakeholders in Gulmarg, Omar said his government had been working diligently to revive the tourism sector following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. “None of you asked me to go into the Pahalgam market on a cycle. I understood my responsibility,” he said.

He recalled efforts made to promote Kashmir post-attack, including directing the tourism department to reach out to new markets. “We were not ready to go to Ahmedabad. I forced the department to go and told them Gujarat is a very important market for us,” he said.

Omar revealed that he initially declined approval for the Paris trip, citing the need for industry feedback. “I received a file that said our presence in Europe is weak and it’s a good market. I didn’t give my consent right away. I asked my advisor to consult the industry—if they saw no benefit, I had no desire to go,” he said.

However, he accused government insiders of deliberately leaking the file to create controversy. “No other file is leaked, no other order is leaked. But this particular paper was put on social media. And from that day till now, I have only been abused,” he said.

“As if I’m going on a luxury trip… If your hotel rooms are not occupied, it is not going to affect my earnings. But I said, I’ll go only to save the tourism industry,” he added.

The Chief Minister expressed disappointment over the silence of tourism stakeholders in the face of public criticism against him. “Complaining is done with close ones,” he remarked. “None of you were ready to say, ‘You (CM) are not going for yourself, you are going for us.’ You all remained silent. When you were in trouble, I raised my voice. But when I was abused, no one stood up for me. Relationships are built from both sides, not just one.”

On the issue of land lease expiries in Gulmarg, Omar said he had tried to initiate a cabinet sub-committee to address concerns but was met with suspicion and negative media coverage.

“When the media narrative suggested I was trying to protect my relatives, no one spoke up. No hotel owner in Gulmarg said, ‘It’s not just their relatives—it’s our hotels. We’re in danger,’” he said.

He went on to allege a “deliberate attempt” to evict locals from their land under the guise of legal and administrative actions. “It seems like a method of dispossession. If we remain silent, we will be wiped out,” he warned.

Omar also voiced concerns over what he described as a “conspiracy” to marginalise Kashmir in the tourism sector. “I am convinced that, in certain quarters, large travel promoters are being encouraged not to sell Kashmir as a destination,” he said.