New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday responded warmly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise of his recent Gujarat visit, underscoring the critical importance of tourism for J&K’s economy and national unity.

In a post on X, CM Abdullah wrote: “I’m a firm believer that travel broadens the horizons & the mind @narendramodi ji. It’s especially important for us in J&K as tourism is a crucial part of our economy & has the potential to gainfully employ lakhs of people. That’s why I & my colleagues are trying to convince more of our fellow Indians to visit J&K, especially after the tragic events earlier this year.”

Omar Abdullah was replying to Prime Minister Modi’s earlier post in which the PM lauded his visit to the Sabarmati Riverfront and the Statue of Unity during a recent tourism event in Ahmedabad.

PM Modi had written: “Kashmir to Kevadia! Good to see Shri Omar Abdullah Ji enjoying his run at the Sabarmati Riverfront and visiting the Statue of Unity. His visit to SoU gives an important message of unity and will inspire our fellow Indians to travel to different parts of India.”

The Prime Minister’s message was in response to CM Abdullah’s earlier post describing his morning run along the famed Sabarmati Riverfront:

“While in #Ahmedabad for a tourism event I took advantage of being here to get my morning run at the famed Sabarmati River Front promenade. It’s one of the nicest places I’ve been able to run & it was a pleasure to get to share it with so many other walkers/runners. I even managed to run past the amazing Atal Foot Bridge.”

Omar Abdullah was on a two-day visit to Gujarat to promote Jammu and Kashmir as a key travel destination, especially in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which had a chilling effect on tourism in the region.

During the visit, Abdullah engaged with tour operators and travel industry stakeholders in a bid to restore confidence and draw domestic tourists back to the Union Territory. He also had a meeting with his Gujarat counterpart, Bhupendra Patel

–IANS

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