Jammu, Jul 08 (KNO): In today’s digital age, where travellers rely heavily on online platforms for planning their trips, the official Jammu tourism website (jammutourism.gov.in) is falling significantly short, highlighting an urgent need for modernisation to boost the region’s tourism potential.
Managed by the Department of Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir, the website currently lacks updated information on key officials, tourist destinations, maps, contact details of travel desks, and government-run accommodations, including those operated by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC). This outdated online presence hampers effective promotion and leaves prospective visitors without reliable resources to plan their visits.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), several critical issues have been identified. For instance, the ‘Who’s Who’ section on the homepage still displays contact details of officers like the Joint Director and Deputy Director (Publicity), who were transferred months or even years ago, without any updates.
In the ‘Where to Stay’ section, the list of hotels includes 8 Class ‘A’ hotels, 42 Class ‘B’ hotels, and 227 Class ‘C’ hotels. However, many of these listings are outdated—new properties that have come up over the past decade are missing, while some closed hotels still appear. Notably, premium hotels such as Radisson, Vivanta, Anutham, Viraj Sarovar Portico, Zone by Park, and Lemon Tree are absent from the list, whereas a hotel like M/S Jehlum Resorts, now renamed Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, remains listed.
The lesser-known properties like Muskan Hotel (P) Ltd in Channi and Skyline Hotel in Narwal Chowk are misclassified as Class A hotels, creating confusion for visitors. Even more concerning is that a long-shuttered hotel, 17 Mills Hotel on Jammu Pathankot Highway, continues to be listed.
The role of the Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, is crucial in promoting the region’s diverse attractions—from religious pilgrimages like Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra, Shri Amarnath ji Yatra, and Machail Mata Yatra to scenic monuments, trekking routes, and wellness tourism. Yet, essential information about these key destinations, especially the Machail Mata Yatra, which attracts lakhs of pilgrims annually, is either missing or incomplete. Similarly, details about Buddhist sites in Padder-Akhnoor, trekking routes, and wellness tourism options are largely absent, despite increasing interest.
The website lacks high-quality photographs, interactive maps, virtual tours, and direct booking links for JKTDC accommodations, leaving visitors with limited resources to plan their trips effectively. Private tourism platforms now offer comprehensive guides, visuals, and itineraries that the official site fails to match.
A local travel trader told KNO, “The tourism sector in Jammu cannot afford to lag in the digital age. With millions of travellers turning to online platforms, an outdated website is a missed opportunity to showcase Jammu’s rich spiritual, cultural, and adventure offerings. This not only hampers promotion but also risks driving tourists elsewhere, impacting local businesses and the regional economy.”
Another travel agent said, "The Department of Tourism must undertake an immediate overhaul of the website, ensure updated contact information, detailed guides to attractions, high-resolution images, virtual tours, and seamless booking options for government-operated properties."
Such modernisation, he said, is essential to harness Jammu’s full tourism potential and provide visitors with a user-friendly, informative online experience—(KNO)