Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a meeting to review tourism promotion and publicity activities of Tourism Department with a focus on enhancing the J&K's visibility and increasing visitor engagement to further strengthen J&K’s tourism profile.

The Chief Minister directed the Tourism Department to prepare an advance annual calendar of events to ensure better planning, effective execution and improved coordination. He stressed the need for high-quality, meaningful designs and effective presentation at national and international travel marts, and instructed that all stalls and promotional material must reflect the true strength and potential of J&K tourism.

Directing targeted promotional strategies, the Chief Minister said that tourism publicity and advertising should be focused on airports with high footfall of tourists in cities such as Jaipur, Udaipur and Goa. He asked the department to identify the top ten airports in the country in terms of tourist traffic and undertake focused advertising and marketing campaigns at these locations.

The Chief Minister also called for early finalisation of dates for the Kashmir Marathon and stressed on incentivizing participation of local and national-level runners and enthusiasts by having a wide spread of prizes so that it encourages greater participation. He directed that a title sponsor should be identified for the Kashmir Marathon on the pattern of major marathon events such as the Delhi and Mumbai Marathons. He further suggested introducing themed short-distance runs such as a “Tulip Run” during spring and a “Chrysanthemum Run” during the autumn season.

He emphasised the use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology at travel mart stalls, stating that immersive digital walk-throughs of destinations would generate greater interest and create a strong recall value among potential tourists.

Earlier, the Department of Tourism gave a presentation on publicity and promotion initiatives taken during 2025, highlighting a multi-pronged strategy to position Jammu and Kashmir as a leading all-season global tourism destination. It was informed that high-impact digital campaigns through social media, short videos, reels and airport screen promotions have significantly enhanced online engagement. The department’s official handles have crossed 10 lakh followers, registering over 300 per cent growth in engagement and more than four million views across platforms.

The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Tourism Ashish Chander Verma, Managing Director, J&K Tourism Development Corporation, Directors of Tourism Kashmir and Jammu, and other concerned officers.