Bharatiya Janata Party Jammu & Kashmir President and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Sat Sharma, CA, forcefully raised key issues related to the development and promotion of tourism in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir during the ongoing session of the Rajya Sabha.
Responding promptly to the unstarred question, Union Minister for Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, presented a detailed account of tourist inflow and the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism to strengthen tourism infrastructure and employment generation in the region.
The Minister informed the House that 94.55 lakh pilgrims and tourists visited the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in 2024, while 69.32 lakh pilgrims and tourists visited the shrine in 2025, reflecting the continued religious and tourism significance of the region
Providing district-wise data for the Jammu region, the Minister stated that over 2 crore domestic tourists visited the Jammu region in 2024, while over 1.62 crore domestic tourists visited in 2025 (provisional). Districts such as Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar recorded substantial tourist movement, underscoring the growing appeal of both pilgrimage and offbeat destinations in the region
Highlighting infrastructure development, the Minister said that under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, six projects were sanctioned in Jammu & Kashmir under the Himalayan Circuit during 2016–17 at an approved cost of ?519.58 crore, all of which have been physically completed. He further informed that the scheme has been revamped as Swadesh Darshan 2.0, with a renewed focus on sustainable tourism destinations
The Ministry acknowledged that these initiatives have led to a measurable increase in tourist footfall and local employment, contributing significantly to the socio-economic upliftment of the region
Replying to Sat Sharma’s specific query on the Seven Lakes of Rajouri and Poonch, the Minister stated that the Jammu Tourism Department is actively promoting these destinations through multifaceted strategies including digital outreach, celebrity familiarisation tours, pilgrimage publicity, participation in travel marts, and the organisation of promotional events such as World Tourism Day celebrations and cultural programmes in the Rajouri–Poonch region
Sat Sharma welcomed the detailed reply and reiterated that the BJP-led Government at the Centre remains committed to balanced, inclusive and sustainable tourism development in Jammu & Kashmir, ensuring new employment opportunities and improved livelihoods for local communities.