Jammu Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah Pulls Out Of Key Tourism Fair In France Amid Political Backlash
The trip has drawn flak from opposition leaders who questioned the trip amid the closure of the highway, which disrupted the movement of fruit.
Published : September 18, 2025 at 4:11 PM IST
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has withdrawn from participating in a prestigious tourism fair scheduled in Paris next week to promote the tourism sector, a source said. This has put the participation of the Union Territory on hold in the prestigious tourism fair scheduled from September 23 to 25.
The government had proposed a three-member delegation led by Abdullah to travel to France to participate in the International French Travel Market (IFTM) Top Resa Tourism Fair. The two members include CM’s advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and Director Tourism Jammu Vikas Gupta. But an official source said the chief minister has withdrawn from participating in the promotional campaign after it spurred ‘unnecessary controversy’.
“The trip is not confirmed yet. The process to decide on it is underway, and many options are being weighed before taking a final call,” a senior official from the Jammu Kashmir Tourism Department told ETV Bharat.
It has drawn flak from opposition leaders who questioned the trip amid the closure of the highway, which disrupted the movement of fruit. This is estimated to have caused Rs 700 crore losses to growers.
The major international tourism fair, hosting over 3 lakh visitors from over 100 countries, would have offered a platform for Jammu and Kashmir to connect with global travel and tourism professionals and brands. It would showcase pavilions of many states, including Uttar Pradesh, to promote their culture and heritage for luring tourists. As many as 7 lakh tourists from France travel to India annually, and this would have provided an opportunity to showcase their potential there.
“It is not only about tourism, but would have allowed us to showcase our heritage, culture, handicrafts, etc. These events help in boosting the economy,” said a tourism official, who has participated in promotional events.
After facing a setback following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, CM Abdullah has been participating in tourism promotional campaigns to woo tourists. Earlier, he travelled alongside a delegation to West Bengal and Gujarat to woo domestic tourists.
These two states, alongside others, are key contributors to Kashmir’s tourism sector, but the attack caused a massive setback to the tourism sector as thousands of tourists fled the region. Twenty-five tourists and a local tourist guide were killed by terrorists in Baisaran meadow, where they were holidaying.
This triggered the closure of 46 tourist destinations, including parks and meadows for visitors, as a precautionary measure. But the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the opening of some destinations in the Valley and Jammu from June 17.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry general secretary Fiaz Bakshi said the tourism sector is in dire crisis and there are no signs of recovery.
“There are no travel inquiries in October, and there is almost negligible occupancy of hotels,” he said. “Many closed tourism destinations have been opened, but there are no tourists."
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