Srinagar:
The fortnight-long tourism festival beginning in Srinagar from Tuesday is aimed at attracting tourists by showcasing the heritage and handicrafts of Kashmir.
Described as a "major initiative" for promotion of tourism in the Valley, the mega 'Kashmir Tourism Festival, 2013' will be held from May 14-29 at different tourist destinations in the state.
The festival, jointly funded by the Centre and the state government, kicks off at 'Kashmir Haat' in the heart of the city where exhibition stalls of various departments like tourism, horticulture and handicrafts will be put up.
The festival will also promote recreational activities like trekking, para-gliding and polo which tourists can experience in the state.
Day II of the festival will see a special qawwali recital by the famous Sabri brothers on the banks of Dal Lake. A sufiana musical show at Sarbal in the famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir is also a part of the festival schedule.
The other highlight of the festival will be live cooking demonstrations in Kashmiri cuisine.
Private tour operators, hoteliers and houseboat owners are collaborating with the tourism department for the festival and have offered special discounts for tourists.
The hotel industry in the Valley has offered a 20 per cent discount on bookings and Air India has extended a similar discount on its fares to and fro Srinagar to coincide with the festival.