Kashmir recorded 1.565 million tourist arrivals in the first half of 2024, up 20 percent from 135,000 in the same period last year.
The figures are good news for Kashmir’s tourism industry. (HT file) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Officials said the Himalayan valley is seeing an increasing number of tourists from different states of the country and other countries visiting Dal Lake, the Tulip Gardens and Mughal Gardens of Srinagar, the resort town of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, picturesque Pahalgam in south Kashmir and other exotic tourist destinations.
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“Till June 30 this year, around 1.6 million tourists have visited the site as against 1.3 million during the same period last year,” Kashmir Tourism Director Raja Yakub Farooq said, adding that the number of foreign tourists has also increased to around 26,000 from 14,000 last year.
Good news
The figures are good news for those involved, who have had a great year so far.
Sajad Ahmad, 40, who started a tour and travel agency after losing his job during the pandemic, said this year has been his best one yet. “Bookings have increased by 100% and business is growing,” he said.
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Ahmad, who believes COVID-19 has been a blessing for him, said an unprecedented number of people have flocked to the Valley from across the country.
“Apart from Kashmir, there is no option to witness the untouched natural beauty that can only be found in Europe. Kashmir rivals European resorts in beauty and is much cheaper,” he said.
Kashmir’s tourism boom is also due to the improving security situation as well as the hosting of international conferences such as the G20 in the valley.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, addressing a two-day Tourism Development Conference in Srinagar last week, said the successful G20 Working Group meeting in Srinagar last year was a turning point for the sector.
“The turning point that gave a real impetus to the once sluggish tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir was the successful and peaceful meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group in Srinagar last year. Those who participated in the meeting became brand ambassadors for tourism in the state,” he said. “The participants appreciated Kashmir’s hospitality and beauty.”
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In the past two years, the Himalayan valley has welcomed record numbers of tourists. For the two-year period as a whole, 2.71 million tourists visited in 2023 (including 450,000 Amarnath pilgrims) and 2.67 million in 2022, totalling 5.38 million. Such figures have not been recorded in the valley since the onset of extremism in the early 1990s. Outside of 2022 and 2023, a significant number of tourists visited in 2016 – 1.267 million.
Faiz Bakshi, a hotelier and secretary general of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said March, April, May and June were the busiest months for tourists but the arrival of Amarnath pilgrims has led to a drop in general tourist footfall.
“We have requested the government to allow Amaranth pilgrims to visit various tourist sites in the valley after completing their pilgrimage and not restrict them to security convoys. We have also decided to provide huge discounts to the pilgrims during the pilgrimage period,” he said.
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Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir authorities have been working to improve the security environment and have also made a major push towards tourism in Kashmir.
Raja Yaqub Farooq said the improved security situation was the main factor attracting tourists to the valley in large numbers again.
“As the situation improves, the government is opening new tourist sites and improving infrastructure,” he said.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir has selected 75 unique tourist destinations along the Line of Control in North Kashmir, including Bungas, Keran, Tangdal, Gurez and Dawar.
“Around 10 tourist spots have been opened. We are working on Daksan Sintang. Gurez has received the Best Offbeat Tourist Destination award from the Ministry of Tourism. Lolab has won the Outlook award. We are trying to diversify tourism by opening border tourist spots,” he said, adding that a wave of tourists is spurring to the Valley. “Kashmir is becoming a new and attractive destination for tourists.”
{{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} News / Cities / Chandigarh / Kashmir Valley to buzz with tourists in H1 2024, arrivals rise by 30%
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