May 10: With improvement in different pillars of development like investment, tourism, infrastructure, agriculture and social welfare, Kashmir is witnessing unprecedented growth. The development of Kashmir is something that the government is giving utmost importance to. This is visible from the fact that the central government introduced a scheme of INR 28,400 crore which is designed to provide employment to more than 4.5 lakh people. Most of the projects which were previously introduced in the region are nearly on the verge of completion. Most of the investment is done on the infrastructure front, which is extremely important, especially from the tourism perspective in the region.
Why Investment In Tourism Infrastructure Is Important For Kashmir?
In 2022, tourism in Kashmir has broken a record in the past ten years. This is a result of the prioritization of tourism by the government. The tourism industry of Kashmir plays a critical role in the economy of the government. It also works as a means of livelihood for many local people too. Such an economic boost is better than Lottery Sambad financial support that only a few receive after seeing the Teer Result. It is because such economic support through the development of the region is more sustainable. Investment in tourism infrastructure is important for Kashmir because it has a huge scope of development in Kashmir. Thanks to the recent focus on tourism in Kashmir that on 11th April 2022, the Srinagar airport handled 102 flight operations. The investment in tourism infrastructure can result in the revival of tourism in Kashmir which will be a happy change in the environment of the region. This year, the tourism industry is expected to see a boom in Kashmir and with investment in tourism infrastructure, the profit can be increased by many folds.
In order to ensure that the tourism industry keeps flourishing in Kashmir, it is important to make an investment in the sector. The infrastructural investment which is urgently required in the region includes improving the road connectivity of Kashmir along with other investments in the infrastructure of tourism. Also, investment in this sector will also have a positive impact on horticulture and agriculture.
Scope Of Improvement In Tourism Infrastructure
Even though Kashmir houses all-weather roads, it remains non-functional mostly during the winter because of landslides. However, it is critical to ensure that the all-weather roads of Kashmir stay true to their name. The government has already started working on it by launching different projects to improve the transportation infrastructure in Kashmir. For improving the geostrategic road of Kashmir, the project was divided into six sub-projects. Most of these projects are already completed and the one which is left to be completed is on the verge of completion.
Also, the scope to improve the accommodation for the tourists is extremely high. Currently, most of the tourist accommodations are concentrated in three popular regions: Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Dal Lake. According to reports by the tourism department of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the total accommodation capacity of Kashmir is only 62,448 beds. As a result, the improvement scope for improving the accommodation capacity in Kashmir is extremely high. Also, the government needs to work to ensure better power in the region to ensure that the tourists who come to Kashmir can stay in the region without any problem.
The government along with focusing on improving the connectivity in Kashmir, is also engaged in a cleaning operation of Dal Lake. This cleaning operation is aimed to remove weeds from the lake, both manually and mechanically.
Currently, the tourism sector of Kashmir contributes more than 7% of the GDP of the region. It also employs more than one lakh people, in both direct and indirect manner. This is the case when the infrastructural development in Kashmir is pretty basic. With further development and investment in the tourism sector of Kashmir, employment can further be improved for the locals of Kashmir and also, it will present a scope of growth of contribution of the tourism sector in the GDP of Kashmir. It is high time for both the state government and the central government to join hands to work towards further development of Kashmir by giving the tourism sector a special focus.(KNS)