The Centre has sanctioned six major tourism infrastructure projects worth Rs 519.58 crore for Jammu and Kashmir under its Swadesh Darshan scheme, targeting the Himalayan Circuit and aiming to upgrade facilities across the Union Territory.According to the Ministry of Tourism, all six projects were approved in 2016-17, but officials said funding and implementation have continued over recent years. The largest allocations include Rs 91.99 crore for developing tourist facilities at Mantalai and Sudhmahadev, and Rs 91.84 crore for work in Gulmarg, Baramulla, Kupwara, Kargil and Leh.
Other approved works cover Rs 90.43 crore for rebuilding tourism assets destroyed in the 2014 floods under the Prime Minister’s Development Package; Rs 86.39 crore for facilities in Anantnag, Pulwama, Kishtwar, Pahalgam, Daksum, Zanskar Padum and Ranjit Sagar Dam; Rs 81.60 crore for Jammu, Rajouri, Shopian and Pulwama; and Rs 77.33 crore for the Jammu–Srinagar–Pahalgam–Bhagwati Nagar–Anantnag–Salamabad–Uri–Kargil–Leh route.
In addition to these sanctioned projects, the government said it has extended a series of support measures for the tourism sector after the COVID-19 pandemic. These include collateral-free automatic loans for MSMEs, extending the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme to hospitality and tourism businesses, and offering free tourist visas for the first 5 lakh international visitors post-pandemic. The e-Tourist Visa facility was restored for citizens of 171 countries.
Under the Loan Guarantee Scheme for COVID-Affected Tourism Sector, approved tour operators and travel agents could access collateral-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh, while registered guides were eligible for loans of up to Rs 1 lakh.
