To bring tourists to Valley, QR codes to add confidence
To boost the morale of tourists visiting the picturesque hill resort of Pahalgam, the Union Territory administration has introduced a new confidence-building measure of a unique QR code-based identification system for all tourism service providers.
This identification system will ensure that only authorised service providers can offer services, allowing tourists to enjoy a comfortable and peaceful stay.
The tourism stakeholders have welcomed the initiative, calling it a good step for the authenticity of the service providers and the safety of tourists. They said the initiative will help gain the visitors' trust. The QR codes contain the service provider's name, parentage, detailed address, mobile number, Aadhaar number, registration number, operational route, and whether police verification has been completed.
A senior officer of the Tourism department in Pahalgam told The Pioneer, “Before providing unique QR codes to service providers, the local authorities established a comprehensive database containing all registered pony-ride operators, hawkers, photographers, business establishments, and external vendors. This system allows tourists to verify the credentials of service providers before availing their services in Pahalgam.”
He said the QR code was generated as part of various other confidence-building measures adopted to restore the confidence of those visiting the popular tourist resort in Anantnag district that was shaken by the brutal terror attack on April 22 last year.
The attack in the Baisaran meadow left 25 tourists and a local pony-ride operator dead. The local police authorities have verified the credentials of every service provider.
Before engaging any service provider, the tourists can scan the QR code and check the details about that person. “This will help them verify the credentials of the service provider, thereby building their trust and also improving the security environment,” an official said.
“The overall security has been beefed up across major tourist hotspots in the valley. As far as service providers are concerned, we have been given QR codes after document verification; our Aadhaar numbers are linked as well,” Ghulam Hassan, a service provider, said.
“All our details, addresses, etc., are there, which are linked to the local police station. Security forces check our QR codes periodically to ensure only genuine, registered, and properly verified service providers are operating,” Hassan said. According to the officials, vendors from outside J-K who come here to earn their livelihood have also been properly verified and vetted by the police to ensure that no security lapses occur.
