Opinion | Why Tourism is Growing faster in Jammu & Kashmir?

It is reported that Tourism in Kashmir breaks all records as 3,40,000 visitors throng valley in 3 months.  In the month of March the maximum tourist arrivals were 1,80,000.  Jammu and Kashmir is one of the popular tourist destinations in Asia. Kashmir is witnessing a record footfall of tourists this year. After a slump of three years, nearly two lakh tourists visited the Valley in March alone. And between January and 15 May 2022, it saw 700,000 visitors, the highest in the last 10 years. The natural beauty and picturesque locations have made it a favoured destination for tourists across the world. More than six lakh tourists visited Kashmir in a year that was largely lost to the uncertainties of COVID-19, even though the economic situation had improved globally.  The role of tourism in the economic development of J&K state has been an area of immense interest from policy perspective.
Kashmir is presently witnessing a booming tourism season with 1.8 lakh tourists visiting the valley in March alone. This is the largest number of tourists to have visited Kashmir in the last decade. It is a veritable paradise on earth. Beautiful as her mountains are during the day time they appear all the more beautiful and glorious at sunrise and sunset.
It is to be appreciated that the Jammu and Kashmir Government Tourist Department extends all kinds of facilities to tourists: It has opened its branches at various important stations to supply information and give help to those who intend planning a holiday in Kashmir. Besides those branches, there are innumerable Tourist Agencies in Kashmir which cater to the needs of visitors. J&K has tremendous tourism potential and being a labour-intensive industry, it provides a very vast scope for employment as compared to other enterprises.
Tourism provides good sustenance to the local population as well as generates revenue for the State exchequer. J&K Government deserves due appreciation for leaving no stone unturned in promoting tourism in the union territory. Many road shows are being organised in different parts of the country and abroad not only to attract tourists but also provide prospective investors the facilities of having a dialogue on investment opportunities in the region.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s government officials are working hard to encourage business leaders in Dubai into becoming prominent players in key sectors like tourism and handicrafts as well as take advantage of investment opportunities in the Union Territory. In an effort to revive tourism in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the tourism department of the state has lined up various activities, including promoting destination festivals and organising dedicated trekking expeditions.
There is no comparison of Kashmir with any other place in the country in terms of nature’s beauty. According to the tourism department of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the total registered capacity for tourist accommodation in Kashmir is 62,488 beds, including all the hotels of A, B, and C categories, also the guesthouses and houseboats. Jammu and Kashmir government launched new film policy to boost tourism and investment in the union territory. In December 2021, the administration organized safari tour in Srinagar’s Eidgah area to boost Kashmir art and promote artisans with ramifications on tourism industry of Kashmir as well.
Lot of tourists from Gujarat visited Kashmir and ther are many who scare but it’s very safe because of the Indian army.
(Writer can be Reached at  :
dixitpatrakar@yahoo.in)