Srinagar, March 12 -- The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department has initiated a phased process to convert Valley Guide licence holders into the Tourist Guide category in the ski resort of Gulmarg after a verification exercise uncovered long-pending irregularities in registrations.
The department has prepared a provisional list of 77 Valley Guide registration holders proposed for conversion and upgradation, enabling them to operate in the Gulmarg tourism area, subject to scrutiny, verification and fulfilment of prescribed requirements.
The move is being widely welcomed by tourism professionals in the region, who see it as a long-awaited step towards bringing greater transparency, regulation and accountability to guiding services in Gulmarg,...