Srinagar, March 16 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah officially opened Asia's largest tulip garden on the banks of Dal Lake here for visitors on Monday, and expressed hope that the tourism sector would recover from the setbacks of the previous year.
Abdullah was accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues and National Conference MLAs to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden on Cheshma Shahi Road, officials said.
"This will be a fresh start for those involved in the tourism industry. They had to go through a very challenging period. However, the situation is constantly changing, and we hope that it improves, enabling people from outside to come and enjoy the beauty of Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah told reporters.
The tulip garden was among 44 destinations closed to tourists last year following the terror attack in Pahalgam in April that resulted in the deaths of 26 people. It reopened this year after a security audit.
Abdullah said that various stakeholders are working on making floriculture a commercial venture, whereby flowers grown here are exported to other parts of the country.
"Most things are in place. The key issue now is establishing a reliable cold chain. Once that is in place, whether by rail or air, this sector can flourish," he said.
Abdullah also said that efforts are underway to locally cultivate tulip bulbs to save on the cost of importing them from the Netherlands.
"This will also save foreign exchange," he said.
On security at tourist destinations, Abdullah said that those responsible for security would definitely be present at all the tourist destinations.
The garden was opened for visitors almost 10 days ahead of schedule, as the Valley experienced warmer days that led to early blooming of the flowers.
The garden, which was added to the tourist spots of Kashmir in 2008, is usually opened for visitors in the last week of March.
However, as Kashmir witnessed the hottest February in decades, the tulips started to bloom early.
More than 70 varieties of tulips will be on display at the garden, as the floriculture department has increased the density of bulbs to give a richer look to the garden, where over 1.8 million bulbs have been planted.
Cultural events have also been planned to add to the attraction.
The response was encouraging on the opening day, as a large number of tourists and locals were seen waiting outside the garden before its formal opening