Srinagar: Crooked queues at airport baggage claim, families waiting at Dal Lake to board the shikara, couples posing in traditional Kashmiri attire at Nishat Bagh, the bustling Lal Chowk, packed restaurants, fully fledged Booked Hotels – Kashmir Valley is witnessing hordes of tourists, with local authorities describing it as the biggest footfall in 10 years.
Despite apprehensions about the security situation, for many tourists, their first visit to the valley is a “dream come true”. These tourists have come to the valley in groups with their families from across the country.
“It’s a dream. Are we really in Kashmir?” Praveena Darshan from Mumbai posing in front of the clock tower said Lal Chowk, “It is like a dream come true. I have always wanted to go to Kashmir and eventually we mustered up the courage to do so. It was the best decision ever. It is heaven on earth,” she said. “Also, all four And so much security is very reassuring. We feel safe.”
According to the data available with the J&K Tourism Department, more than 3.5 lakh tourists have visited Kashmir in the last three months. This number is expected to increase further in the coming months. In 2021, 6.6 lakh tourists from across the country visited the valley, which is significantly more than 41,000 in 2020.
Since 2019, J&K has been witnessing a significant decline in the number of tourists since the abrogation of Article 370. The decline was further exacerbated by the Covid restrictions, which dealt another blow to the bustling tourism industry of the Valley.
Dr GN Itoo, Director, Kashmir Tourism, said, “We have not seen such a decline in the last 10 years since 2012. Our data shows that it has been a bumper season for us.”
“Every season we get around 50,000 tourists on an average, and now, in just three months, we have over 3 lakh. People are now convinced that it is safe to travel to Kashmir. “Our initiative to promote tourism has paid off. The local traders, businessmen who depend on tourism and the economy of Kashmir will get a big boost.”
