MATTA plans to promote Kashmir to Malaysians

Instead of promoting Kashimiris to come to Malaysia,MATTA plans to do just the opposite: promote Kashmir to Malaysians

According to MATTA: When people think of Kashmir in north India, it is usually about unrest due to the overlapping claims on the disputed region between India and Pakistan.

However, the area is actually peaceful and filled with beautiful landscapes. It even has three world-class golf courses to boot.Therefore, (MATTA) hopes to change the perception of Malaysians about Kashmir in an effort to lure more tourists to the region.

“We hope to work together with the Jammu and Kashmir tourism authorities for this purpose,” said MATTA president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun at the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department roadshow here yesterday. “Malaysians, in general, will not find it a problem to visit Kashmir as it shares similarities with our country such as the presence of halal food and a large Muslim community there,” he said.

He added that Jammu attracts Hindu devotees for its numerous temples and shrines. Mohd Khalid said nature lovers would also enjoy taking in the sights of the area’s green valleys and lakes.

Jammu and Kashmir minister of tourism and culture Nawang Rigzin Jora assured Malaysian tourists that Kashmir was as peaceful as any place in India and dismissed media reports which had painted it as unsafe. “Kashmir is to Asia what Switzerland is to Europe with its beautiful natural landscapes,” he said
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He added that Jammu and Kashmir would send its team to the MATTA Fair from Aug 12 to 14 at the Putra World Trade Centre here so that Malaysians could learn more about the state. “We believe Malaysia would be a good market to tap. We hope to receive an intitial batch of about 3,000 Malaysian visitors to Jammu and Kashmir,” Nawang said.