Jammu, April 16: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review ongoing works and strategic initiatives aimed at promoting and strengthening tourism across the Jammu region.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Finance, Tourism, and Public Works Departments, along with the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Managing Director JKTDC, Director Tourism Jammu, and other key officers.
Emphasising Jammu’s vast untapped tourism potential, the Chief Secretary directed officials to prioritise high-impact projects under the Capex budget and focus on upgrading key religious and heritage destinations, including Shivkhori, Katra, Uttarbehni, and Purmandal. He said even a small diversion of pilgrims from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine could significantly boost footfall at nearby circuits.
He also stressed the importance of developing border tourism at Suchetgarh, noting its rising popularity, and called for expanding adventure tourism at sites such as Aithem and the Chenab Rail Bridge. He further suggested exploring Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to accelerate such projects.
Dulloo instructed the department to identify land parcels around Patnitop for development under the “One State: One Global Destination” initiative. He also called for timely completion of all ongoing infrastructure works and a strategy to convert pilgrims into multi-day tourists by promoting leisure, heritage, adventure, and spiritual circuits together.
Key tourism circuits reviewed included Katra–Shivkhori, Uttarbehni–Purmandal, Aithem–Chenab Rail Bridge, Baradari (Reasi), Ranjit Sagar Lake (Kathua), and leisure clusters such as Patnitop–Sanasar, Surinsar–Mansar, and Rajouri–Poonch.
Officials also discussed improving connectivity, developing amenities like eateries and transport facilities, and introducing entertainment infrastructure in Jammu city to encourage longer tourist stays.
Tourism Department officials presented a detailed roadmap focusing on thematic circuits, infrastructure expansion, heritage promotion, and offbeat destinations, while highlighting major projects such as an adventure hub and food village at Aithem, rafting centre at Baradari, and adventure sports at the Chenab Rail Bridge.
The department also shared details of recent promotional efforts, including FAM tours, digital campaigns, marathons, winter carnivals, rafting championships, and cultural festivals across the region to position Jammu as a year-round tourism destination.