Panaji : Casinos were a potential avenue for tourism promotion in Jammu and Kashmir, but it was not a priority right now, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said on Thursday.
On a visit to Goa, a hub for tourism and offshore as well as onshore casinos, the BJP leader was asked if he planned to emulate Goa’s casino experience in India’s northernmost state to promote tourism.
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“Casinos can happen, but it is not our priority right now. What can be done later can be thought out,” he said.
He said Jammu and Kashmir has tremendous tourism potential in terms of water sports, leisure and religious tourism, and the state gets more than 1.25 crore religious tourists every year.
Goa receives nearly three million tourists every year, a significant chunk of which visit the four offshore casinos and nine onshore casinos.