Jammu, June 06: Tourists and pilgrims visiting health resorts in Jammu would be given 50 per cent concession, Harjinder Singh Anand, president, Jammu Hotel, Restaurant and Bar Association said here. "We have decided to provide 50 percent concession to tourists visiting the health and picturesque hill resorts in Jammu division, particularly Patnitop and Kud," Anand said here today.
A concession on food and stay would be given to tourists and pilgrims visiting Jammu division, he said adding this step would help boost the ailing tourism industry in the state.
"We are committed to speed up tourism in the region by offering concessions and promoting other activities," Anand said. He said the state government, in its recent budget, had taken a positive step by giving a sales tax holiday for one year to the hotel industry.
Anand, however, said that the recently increased import duty raised by Rs five liquor per litre (LPL) and an increase in license fee of bars, distilleries, breweries, bottling plants in j and k budget should be abolished.
"This would again affect the hotel and bar industry as well as tourism," Anand said adding while Jammu and Kashmir was charging 31 per cent import duty on liquor, neighbouring Punjab was charging just 22 per cent. Anand said that 60 lakh pilgrims and tourists were visiting Jammu for the purpose of tourism and pilgrimage.
The flow of pilgrims and tourists should be diverted to scenic tourist places like Kud, Patnitop, Shiv Khori, Banda Bhadur, Sansar, Mansar, Surinsar and Mantalie in Jammu division, he added. Bureau Report