Regardless of two lethal terror assaults close to in style vacationer locations in Kashmir, the area continues to welcome lots of of vacationers day by day, desirous to expertise the splendor of autumn. Whereas current assaults close to Gulmarg and Sonamarg resulted within the tragic lack of a number of lives, together with troopers, these occasions have performed little to dampen the passion of holiday makers who’ve longed to see Kashmir’s iconic landscapes and Chinar bushes ablaze with autumn colours.
In line with current information, an estimated 7,000–8,000 individuals go to Kashmir every day, with almost half of them being vacationers. Guests are filling the valley’s famend locations, together with the favored ski resorts of Gulmarg and Sonamarg, undeterred by safety considerations. Shafa Khan, a vacationer from Uttar Pradesh, shared, “We really feel very secure right here. It’s lovely, and there’s no concern—simply rumors. It really is like heaven.” Many different guests echo this sentiment, together with Afsha from Rajasthan, who’s on her third journey to the area, and Bhavesh from Bengal, who got here instantly by street to discover Dal Lake and the saffron fields.
The valley has been having fun with a exceptional tourism surge over the previous couple of years. Between January and September this yr alone, Kashmir obtained over 2.6 million guests, together with 35,254 overseas vacationers. When factoring in pilgrims and vacationers to the Jammu area, a complete of 19 million individuals visited Jammu and Kashmir, together with in style pilgrimage websites Amarnath and Vaishno Devi.
Tourism stakeholders in Kashmir initially frightened that current assaults may deter vacationers, however the influx stays regular, and business optimism is excessive for the upcoming autumn and winter seasons. Manzoor Pakhtun, a tourism entrepreneur in Kashmir, famous, “Our tourism has elevated lately, particularly with autumn and vacation season upon us. Bookings are coming in, each instantly and on-line, and we’re hopeful this season will probably be nice. We request authorities to advertise not simply Gulmarg however Sonamarg as properly, because it’s a improbable vacation spot.”
The federal government of Jammu and Kashmir has additionally been actively selling the area as a world vacationer vacation spot, recognizing the significance of tourism to the native financial system. With tourism contributing roughly 8% to the Union Territory’s GDP and producing over 800 lakh rupees in annual income, the sector performs a crucial position, supporting about 2.2 million jobs instantly and not directly throughout Jammu and Kashmir.
To draw extra guests, the federal government lately hosted occasions just like the Legends League Cricket event and the first-ever worldwide marathon in Srinagar. These efforts align with the federal government’s intention to spice up Kashmir’s tourism business and cement the area as a must-visit vacation spot.
