Post-floods: Kashmir tourism industry in deep trouble

According to official estimates, the number of tourists coming to Kashmir has dwindled to meager 600 to 800 per day this month. “Last November Kashmir on an average received 1900 tourists per day,” they said.
Director Tourism, Talat Pervaz said: “Tourism arrivals are lesser this year in comparison to the past years. Currently, we are getting 600 to 800 tourists per day which is far lesser as compared to the corresponding period of the last year.”
“There are a number of reasons for decline in the tourist arrivals. Post-floods, there is misinformation outside that the place is not safe,” Parvez said.
However, he added that the department in order to clear the doubts among the prospective tourists will hold a series of awareness camps outside the state.
“Even though ski-resort Gulmarg and Pahalgam were unaffected, still there is less influx of tourists to these places as the general notion outside Kashmir post-floods is that the place is not safe from the health point of view,” he said, adding that tourism department in collaboration with tourism players have to make efforts to clear doubts outside about current scenario in the Valley.
However, the local tourism traders here said that there was total decline in the tourist arrivals to Kashmir. “Nobody is presently coming to Kashmir. Just check the occupation rate of the hotels you will come to know whether any tourist is coming to Kashmir,” said Mushtaq Ahmad of Travel Master.
The tourism players said that the government is trying to show that tourists are coming to Kashmir which is totally untrue. “The tourism arrivals in Kashmir have reached to the lowest ebb. Presently the number of tourists coming to Kashmir can be counted on finger tips,” they said.
As per economic survey report 2013-2014, presently there are 1508 registered hotels and restaurants in the state apart from 84 tourist bungalows and huts. In 2012 the number of tourist arrival was pegged at 13,08,765 and in 2013 the number stood at 11,71,130.
The tourism traders fear that the numbers won’t pick up even in the coming months.
President, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Ashiq Hussain told Greater Kashmir that tourism sector is passing through turbulent times. “Our tourism traders have suffered immense losses during the flood. Now, they are facing business losses as small amount of tourists are coming to Kashmir,” he said.
He said outside-state based business chambers are giving wrong picture while quoting numbers relating to tourists coming to Kashmir.
He was referring to the statement issued by ASSOCHAM regarding tourism in Kashmir. “How ASSOCHAM can issue press statements without any ground analysis, we advise them not to issue such statements in future which have no basis,” he said.
President, Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Association (KHARA), Showkat Chowdhary told Greater Kashmir that there are various factors contributing to the fall in the tourism sector.
“The foremost factor responsible for the fall in the tourism sector,” he said, “is that the state government has failed to rehabilitate tourism players. The hotels and restaurants are awaiting restoration as governments agencies have failed to expedite the process of issuance of building permission to these commercial properties.”
Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club, Mushtaq Chaya said: “We met the Chief Secretary recently and urged him to start promotional activity outside Kashmir to woo tourists to the Valley. Until the state government starts campaigning and promoting tourism, there will be no improvement on the ground.”
Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance, Faiz Bakshi echoed similar views. “Need of the hour is to clear the misconception about situation in Kashmir. We are suffering a lot as advance bookings for November and December are getting cancelled and further there are hardly new bookings for the upcoming months which used to be centre of attraction for tourists as snow-clad mountains attracted them.”
The Kashmir’s tourism sector is one of major contributors in creating employment opportunities in the state. However, post-floods the sector has been worst affected as most of the properties catering to tourism influx in and around Srinagar have been left decimated by the worst-ever urban floods that hit Kashmir early September.