Record tourist arrivals for Kashmir

According to the Tourism Department of Jammu and Kashmir, the Himalayan region has welcomed 600.000 tourists during the last four months, accounting for the highest number of tourist arrivals in the last decade.

The Director of the Tourism Department, Ghulam Nabi Itoo, explained:

''As you know the winter season, from January to March, has been good, and even the April figures have been better. More than 600,000 tourists have arrived in the first four months of this year, which is turning out to be a great tourism season and year for Kashmir.

“Given the fact that the pilgrimage is also happening, tourism in the valley will get a further push. This time, we will be welcoming tourists for Yatra as well as other destinations. It's a good sign for the tourism industry. We suffered a lot due to the pandemic.

“As we see the figures, and keeping in mind the holidays across India, we expect a lot of tourist arrivals. We are also exploring new tourist destinations.”

Just like most worldwide destinations, the tourism sector in the Kashmir Valley has suffered huge loss during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, the 2019 revoking of the Article 370 granting special status and autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir has contributed to further sinking of the region’s travel businesses.

“This is the first time after decades that we are seeing so many tourist arrivals to the Kashmir Valley. We suffered a lot during the Covid pandemic. But after witnessing tremendous tourist footfall, we are hopeful that momentum will continue to grow further,” commented travel operator Manzoor Ahmad.

The increasing number of tourists is expected to boost even more with the beginning of the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage this June, as officials prepare to welcome almost 600.000 people attending the event.

 

Source: wionews.com