Jammu rich in heritage, but poor in tapping tourism potential

Jammu, also knows as city of temples, has a rich heritage but untapped tourism potential. Despite having a rich historical past, the city, which was the seat of the Dogra dynasty, has remained neglected when it comes to making it an independent tourist destination, an often repeated slogan of successive governments.
Even the 15 lakh inhabitants of Jammu have a few options for having local outings with their families unlike Srinagar city, which is adorned by parks and well maintained historical places, giving its residents a sense of belonging to their culture and history.
Added to this is the delay in the completion of several tourism-related projects, which have jumped deadline after deadline. There are dozens of sites which could be made attractive to one crore pilgrims visiting the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, one of the biggest attractions for the tourists planning their trip to J&K.
Even the Special Task Force established by the Central Government in 2010 to examine the developmental needs of the Jammu region had recommended that tourism promotion schemes should be completed on the fast-track basis, which has been ignored.
“There are no places to have outings with the family. When we have to plan any outing it’s always either a cinema hall or some restaurant. In Jammu, there is no major museum, garden or place of historical importance which has been developed,” said Rohit Sharma, a government employee.
Except the Bag-e-Bahu park developed on the hillock having one of the ancient forts, there is no major garden. The Rajinder Park, near canal road, has lost its attraction after it was taken over by J&K Bank, which maintains it. The historic Mubarak Mandi palace is yet to get a makeover.
The Tulip Garden is not being maintained, while Jhajjar Kotli, a favourite picnic spot, has almost been ignored after the completion of the national highway project.
“Jammu acts as the base camp for pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, but it has been deliberately neglected. Visitors find a very few sites to extend their stay. There is no place for people to enjoy their holidays,” said Inderjeet Khajuria, president All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA).