Govt Comes Up With Plans For Tourism Revival In J&K

Govt is planning school and college excursions, conferences, tour delegations at famous resorts in the Valley to get back tourists

- Mir Ehsan

SRINAGAR: The government of Jammu and Kashmir has chalked out a detailed plan to revive the tourism sector that took a hit after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

With an aim to increase footfall at prominent tourist spots, the government is starting with school and college excursions, conferences, and tour delegations to get back tourists at famous resorts which witnessed 90% cancellation. "We are planning to hold picnics and tours of students and this will start from next week and will continue for at least two months," said a senior education department officer.

Before the Pahalgam attack, the valley recorded tourist footfall of 7 lakh. Tour operators are hopeful that a successful Amarnath Yatra could bring back tourists to Kashmir, which saw around three million tourists visiting last year.

After one month, tourists are returning to Kashmir, but the numbers are still low; however, officials are hopeful that the numbers will start gradually picking up. "After three days of the Pahalgam terror attack, every single tourist left Kashmir. All tourist places looked deserted, but now tourists are coming back. In the past four or five days, some big groups also came to Kashmir," said Mohammad Iqbal, a hotel owner in Srinagar city. "After the attack, many hotels got completely closed, but now they are again reopening," he said.