Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department
Citizens’ Charter

The main objective of the exercise to issue the Citizen's Charter of a department is to improve the quality of public services. This is done by letting people know the mandate of the concerned department, how one can get in touch with its officials, what to expect by way of services and how to seek a remedy if something goes wrong. The Citizen's Charter does not by itself create any legal rights, but it surely helps in enforcing existing rights.

The J&K Tourism Department:

Objectives of the Tourism Department:

Organisation:

I) Secretary to Government Tourism Department
The Secretary to Government, Tourism Department, is the administrative head of the department. His office is in the Civil Secretariat. His office functions for six months in Jammu during winter (November-April). The Secretariat functions in Srinagar during the summer months (May-October).

Address:
Secretary to Government
Tourism Department
i) Civil Secretariat Srinagar (May – October)
Tele: 0194-2452264, 2450017
ii) Civil Secretariat Jammu (November – April)
Tele: 0191- 2548715, 2542922
e-mail: akhtarandrabi@yahoo.com

II) Tourism Directorates
Director Tourism (Kashmir) and Director Tourism (Jammu) control the Tourism related activities, both domestic and international, of the state.

Address:
a) Director Tourism, Kashmir
Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar – 190001, Kashmir
Tele: 0194- 2479548, 2472449, 2452361 (Fax)
EPABX: 0194-2452690/91
Web Site: www.jktourism.org

b) Director Tourism, Jammu
Tourist Reception Centre, Jammu
Tele: 0191 – 2520409, 2548172, 2548358 (Fax)
EPABX: 0191-2520432
Web Site: www.jktourism.org

Director Tourism, Kashmir is assisted by the following officers:
a) Jt. Director Tourism, Kashmir
b) Dy. Director Tourism, Kashmir.
c) Dy. Director Tourism, Maintenance & Works.
d) Dy. Director Tourism, Registration.
e) Asst. Director Tourism, Publicity.
f) Asst. Director Tourism, Recreation.
g) Asst. Director Tourism, Planning
h) Accounts Officer

Other Important Offices in Kashmir under the control of the Director Tourism, Kashmir:

a) Tourist Office/Tourist Reception Centre, Pahalgam
Tele: 01936-243224
b) Tourist Office/Tourist reception Centre, Gulmarg Near JKTDC Golf Club;
Tele: 01954-254439/87
c) Tourist Office/Tourist Reception Counter, Srinagar Civil Airport
Tele: 0194-2430365
d) Tourist Office/Tourist Reception Centre, Sonamarg

The Department has six offices outside the State controlled by the Director Tourism, Kashmir:

a) New Delhi: 512-512A, 5th Floor, Tolstoy House, Tolstoy Marg
Tele: 011-23714948 Fax: 011-23714947, E-mail: jaktour@ndf.vsnl.net.in
b) Mumbai: 25, North Wing, World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Colaba
Tele: 022-22189040, Fax: 22186172
c) Kolkatta: 12, Chowringhee, Tel/Fax: 033-22285791
d) Chennai: II-Floor, 36/36-A, North Usman Road, Tel/Fax: 079-25503551
e) Ahmedabad: Airlines House, Lal Darwaza, Tel/Fax: 079-25503551
f) Hyderabad: 5th Floor, left wing, Chandra Vihar Complex, M.J. Road
Tele/fax: 040-24734806

Director Tourism, Jammu is assisted by the following officers:

a) Jt. Director Tourism, Jammu.
b) Dy. Director Tourism, Jammu.
c) Dy. Director Tourism, Publicity.
d) Asst. Director Tourism, Registration.
e) Asst. Director Tourism, Planning.
f) Accounts Officer.

Other Important Offices in Jammu under the administrative control of the Director Tourism, Jammu are:

a) Tourist Reception Centre, Jammu (0191-2548172)
b) Tourist office, Katra (01992-272619)
c) Tourist office, Railway Station Jammu (0191-2476078)
d) Tourist office, Airport, Jammu (0191-2431917)
e) Tourist office, Lakhanpur (01922-285037)
f) Tourist office, National Highway, Batote (01998-244243)
g) Tourist office, Rajouri (01962-263426)
h) Tourist office, Shiv Khori Ransoo (01991-262052)

Functions:

Publicity

a) Promotion & Marketing of various tourist destinations and products of the state.
b) Production & distribution of publicity material like folders, brochures, posters.
c) Production & distribution of Tourism Promotional Films on CDs and DVDs.
d) Production of Television Commercials and airing them on satellite TV channels.
e) Sponsoring and participation of the State's travel-trade delegations in various Travel Marts and Expos within the country and abroad and conduct of Familiarization Tours of leading travel agents, tour operators and travel writers from within the country and abroad to different parts of the State.
f) Release of advertisements in newspapers/magazines and coordination of various marketing efforts
g) Holding of festivals in different parts of the State – highlighting the unique cultural nuances of each region.

For safeguarding the interests of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir, the State has enacted a special legislation titled the "Jammu and Kashmir Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1978/1982 ". Under this act, the first of its kind in the whole country, all the Tourist Officers posted in different resorts have been vested with special powers to register and regulate the tourist trade in their respective areas of jurisdiction. In order to look into complaints from tourists visiting the State, the Department has an Enforcement Wing headed by a Superintendent of Police on deputation from the Police Department who is designated as Deputy Director Tourism (Enforcement). There is a contingent of Tourist Police on deputation from the Police Department under the administrative control of Deputy Director Tourism (Enforcement) for assisting him in the dealing with the complaints of tourists. The Registration Act also confers compounding powers on the Deputy Director Tourism (Enforcement) enabling him to settle the complaints on the spot. For cases requiring prosecution, written complaint of a tourist is admissible as evidence even if he may have left the State.
While the administration of the J&K Registration of tourist Trade Act is the sphere of duty of the registration/enforcement wings, some extracts from various sections of the act are reproduced below of information of the general public/tourist traders and tourists

• Hotels, Houseboats, Travel Agents & Excursion Agents, Dealers (of notified articles),Pony Wallas, Sledge Wallas, Motor Boats must be registered with the Tourism Department before commencing business.
• The application has to made to the Prescribed Authority in Form I, II or III, as provided under relevant rules and as the case may be.
• A certificate of registration is issued upon inspection or the Prescribed Authority may refuse registration and in this case shall serve a notice upon the applicant indicating the ground on which the registration is proposed to be refused.
• If the Prescribed Authority is satisfied that a registered person has incurred any of the disqualifications mentioned in the act, he shall serve a notice in the relevant form indicating the ground on which it is proposed to remove the person’s name from the register or black-list him
• Any person carrying on the business of a dealer, hotel-keeper or travel agent without a proper registration under the act or in violation of any of the provisions of the act shall be punishable by the prescribed authority with a fine which may extend to Rs. 2000/- and if the breach is a continuing one with a fine of Rs. 100/- for each day. These amounts are being increased in the very near future.
• Any person obstructing lawful authorities performing duties in pursuance of the act shall be liable to imprisonment which may extend to three months or fine not exceeding Rs. 100/- or with both.
• Any offence relating to touting under the act shall be cognizable and non-bailable.
• The Prescribed Authority has all the powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, Svt 1977 while trying a suit in respect of summoning and enforcing attendances, compelling production of any document, examining witness on oath and may summon and examine suo moto any person whose evidence appears to be material
• The Prescribed Authority can accept form any person accused of an offence under the Act, a sum of money by way of compensation for such offence and may out of money so received compensate the person against whom the offence has been committed to the extent the prescribed authority deems reasonable.
• The prescribed authority or any person authorized by him in this behalf may within the tourist area, inspect at all reasonable times, the premises in which a dealer or a travel agent carries on his business or any premises where a hotel is operated and require such dealer, travel agent or a hotel keeper to produce any document, kept in pursuance to the Act or the rules made thereunder for inspection.
  

Recreation

a) Development of infrastructure related to Adventure activities like Skiing, Ice Skating, Mountaineering, River Rafting, Water Sports, Angling etc.
b) Organising events of competition in various adventure activities.
c) Invoke a spirit of adventure in the locals and tourists.
d) Taking initiatives in exploring new routes in trekking and mountaineering so as to inspire others.
e) Special focus to develop International standard range of Ski Resort in the state.

Tourism organisations in Public Sector & Tourism related Societies:

i) J&K Tourism Development Corporation The commercial activities in the tourism in public sector are looked after by J&K Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.

a) It operates and manages range of its Hotels, Tourist Huts and accommodation facilities in the Tourist Centers and all Tourist resorts of the state.
b) The Corporation also runs a Travel Division, which organizes package tours to various parts of the State and also arranges transport facilities for the tourists for different destinations in the state.

Address:
Managing Director, JKTDC
a) Srinagar: Tourist Reception Centre
Tele: 0194-476063 EPABX: 0194-2472664, 2457930
b) Jammu: Tourist Reception Centre,
Residency Road Jammu
Tele: 0191-2 473532 EPABX: 0191-2579554
c) Tour & Travel Division:
i) Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar.
(Ph. 0191-2457927, 2472644, 2476107)
ii) Tourist Reception Centre, Jammu.
(Ph.0191-25461412, 2549065, 2579554)

ii) J&K Cable Car Corporation: The corporation is headed by a Managing Director. The corporation has a Gondola Lift at Gulmarg, which is the highest cable car system in the world and presently lifts tourists to Kungdoori and Affarwat. A number of safety measures are an integral part of the system to ensure absolute safety of the passengers. The passengers are charged for round trip:

a) Kungdoori Rs 200 for Adult*
b) Affarwat Rs 500 for all
*50% off for children of the age of 3-10 years.

The commissioning of the second phase of the lift in 2005 has given a great fillip to winter sports in Gulmarg, which is now attracting foreign skiers in huge numbers.

Address
a) Head Office:
3rd Floor, Zum Zum Building
Tele: 0194-2435837, 2436405
Web site: www.jkccc.com
b) Project Office:
Gondola Lift, Gulmarg
Tele: 01954-254475, 254500

iii) Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC): The Convention Centre has Conference facilities of International standard. It meets requirement of high-powered convention- of 10 to 1000 delegates. Plenary hall having 600 seats has facility for simultaneous translation in 5 languages. Three Conference Rooms with varying capacity of 25 to 70 seats. Banquet Hall with capacity of 670 seats. It has exhibition area with 2 lounge levels 2254 Sfts and 4680 Sfts. It has 100Sqm Lakeside Pergolas for outdoor meetings which is the specialty of SKICC.

Address:
Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre,
Chashma Shahi, Srinagar-190001
Tel: 0194-455193/94 EPABX: 0194-455283/2472801
e-mail: SKICC@nde.vsnl.net.in

vi) Golf Courses:

a) Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar: The 18 holes, 6445 meters course at a par of 72, designed by Robert Trent Jones-II, is created against the dramatic backdrop of Zabarwan mountains at Chashma Shahi, the Royal Springs. It is spread over 300 acres of rolling hills, natural marsh, native deciduous forest, lakes and wilderness.

 

Royal Springs Golf Course
Chashma Shahi, Srinagar
Kashmir.
(Ph. 0194-2482581/20)
e-mail: rsgc_golf@rediffmail.com

b) Kashmir Golf Course, Srinagar: Kashmir Golf Course is one of the few Golf Clubs established during British Rule and one of the tournaments played in the Club dates as back as 1921. It still remains an ancient seat of learning of Golf as a sport in the state.

 

Kashmir Golf Club
Maulana Azad Road, Srinagar
(Ph: 0194-2476677).

vi) Tourism Development Authorities: As a major initiative to ensure speedy development of the areas of tourist importance, 19 Tourism Development Authorities have been constituted.

Objectives:

1. Beautification of tourist spots and Development of Parks.
2. Up-gradation of roads, Construction of Lanes, drains and Improvement in sanitation facilities & Street lighting.
3. Socio-economic development of the area through community participation.
4. Promotion of adventure sports & leisure sports.
5. Encouraging private participation in all tourism ventures.

Each Development Authority is headed by the Chief Ex. Officer. The following Development Authorities have been constituted for the development of these places of tourist importance:

a) Ahrabal Development Authority
D.C. Office Kulgam (01931-260380)
b) Bhaderwah Development Authority
Pasri Bus Stand Badarwah (Ph.01997-244128)
c) Doodhpathri Development Authority
Budgam (Mbl. 9419046364)
d) Gulmarg Development Authority
i. Gulmarg (01954-254625)
ii. Tangmarg (01954-254629)
e) Kargil Development Authority
Tourist Complex Dak-Bunglow II, Kargil (Ph.01985-232137)
f) Kishtwar Development Authority
Tourist Complex near Heli-Pad (01995-259638)
g) Kokernag Development Authority
Kokernag (Ph. 2441556)
h) Lakhanpur-Sarthal Development Authority
Tourist Office Lakhanpur-184152 (Ph.01922-285037)
i) Leh Development Authority
Tourist reception Centre, Airport Road,
Leh Ladakh (Mbl.9419219645)
j) Pahalgam Development Authority
Main Market Pahalgam (Ph.01936-243049)
k) Patnitop Development Authority
Kud Distt. Udhampur (01992-288146)
l) Poonch Development Authority
Khalsa Chowk Poonch (01965-222905)
m) Rajouri Development Authority
Near D.C. Office Rajouri
n) Sonmarg Development Authority
Sonmarg
(Ph: 0194-2417275)
o) Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority
i) Kalla Kendra, Jammu (Ph.0191-2107369)
ii) Mansar
p) Verinag Development Authority
Arampora, Verinag (Ph. 01932-224514)
q) Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority
Manasbal (Mbl. 9419012220)
r) Yousmarg Development Authority
D.C. Office Budgam (01951-255294)
s) Zanaskar Development Authority
C/o CEO Devlopment Authority
Dak Bungalow 2nd Kargil
.(Ph.01985-232137)