Kashmir Records A High Tourist Arrival After A Long Time

May 10: Visiting Kashmir, and enjoying paradise have been a dream for many. It seems like many travellers are now focusing on fulfilling this dream of theirs. After the ease of pandemic restrictions and the improvement in the security of the region, Kashmir has been attracting a high number of tourists. In fact, the tourist boom in Kashmir is such that it has touched a ten-year high in 2022. Since the beginning of this year, more than 340,000 tourists have already marked their visit to Kashmir. This is the case, despite there still being some sort of restrictions for the foreign tourists. Once that restriction eases, the footfall of tourists in Kashmir will touch a new high again. 

Why The Sudden Surge Of Tourists In Kashmir?

According to reports, the sudden surge of tourists in Kashmir can be attributed to the fact that Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India stripped the region of its special status and autonomy back in 2019. Also, in the past few years, the number of tourists has declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with the ease of restrictions, Kashmir is proving to be the perfect holiday destination in the summertime of India. 0.18 million tourists visited Kashmir alone in March according to a comment made by Sarmad Hafeez, Tourism Secretary for Jammu and Kashmir. It is expected that the number of tourists visiting Kashmir in April will also surpass the tourist footfall in April. Another factor that might have contributed to the rising number of tourists in Kashmir is the active advertising campaign that has been run across all the major Indian cities and of course, there is the word of mouth advertisement by the people who have already enjoyed their stay in Kashmir. The popular destinations of Kashmir which are generally enjoyed in Kashmir are Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam along with Dal Lake. According to data provided by officials, the Tulip Garden of Kashmir which is located in the foothill of the Zabarwan range has enjoyed more than two lakh visitors in just ten days of opening. 

 

Kashmir has been long described as a paradise on Earth. It is beautiful to instantly inspire both Love Shayari and Sad Shayari amongst people who love to write and read. The boathouses of Dal Lake are one of the main attractions for many tourists. Even during the Mughal region, people preferred to visit Kashmir to escape the heat of India. This is something which is true even now. In addition to that, Kashmir also houses the Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden along with mountains and glaciers. 

How Important Is Tourism For Kashmir?

Tourism is one of the most important industries for Kashmir. It contributed 7% to the economy of the region according to government data. With the influx of tourists in Kashmir, many hoteliers and houseboat owners are enjoying advanced booking and it has uplifted their source of income. This is true for the other people who are also involved in the tourism industry like the taxi drivers and tour operators. With such demand for hotels in the region, even the tariffs on hotel rooms have gone up. There is also an increase in the airfares and the tour operators are having a hard time finding bookings for their clients as most of the hotels are booked, this is especially true for the hotels that are located in good locations. The tourist influx in the region has also increased the flight operations in the Srinagar airport. Breaking all the records, on March 28, the Srinagar airport operated 90 incoming and outgoing flights to handle 15,014 visitors. The airports have been pretty busy in Kashmir this year. Most of the tourists visiting Kashmir are from Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat. 

 

The Tourism and Culture department of Jammu and Kashmir has taken tourism for the region as a priority. Working on the same line, many advertising campaigns have been launched. In addition to that, the government has also managed to identify 75 lesser-known destinations across the state that have the potential of becoming top tourist places. It seems like all the hard work of the government is finally paying off and it is good news for the local people who depend upon the tourism industry as a means of their livelihood. (KNS)

 

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