Srinagar, Aug 2 (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department is pushing to establish the Valley as a golf tourism destination, with the third edition of its flagship tournament underway here.
A senior official said the department has been organising golf events to attract high-spending tourists from both domestic and international markets.
“This is the third tournament we have conducted. We are projecting Kashmir as a destination for golf tourism. Golf tourism is a very high-end, capital intensive kind of tourism and we are very focused on that,” the official told KNS.
The department also conducted the first UT-level junior golf tournament in Pahalgam to provide local youth a platform to compete at higher levels, he added.
The official said Kashmir has some of the best golfing infrastructure in the country. “We have RSGC, we have Pahalgam, we have one of the oldest golf courses in the Indian subcontinent in Gulmarg. We have the best treasures when it comes to golf courses,” he said.
This year’s tournament has seen participation from professional golfers across India along with 16 foreign professionals.
“The international participation sends out a positive signal about Kashmir. We want to take that message forward so that people come and visit us, and more such tournaments can be conducted here,” the official said.
The Royal Springs Golf Course Board has decided to open up membership to encourage more locals to take up the sport, he informed.
The initiative is part of the department’s broader effort to revive high-end sports tourism in J&K and boost local economic activity, officials said. (KNS)
