Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 4: The Union Tourism Ministry is organizing a mega tourism festival in Kashmir to promote tourism in the valley after it was badly hit with the turmoil in the aftermath of hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in February this year.
A statement issued here by Ministry from New Delhi said that a major initiative to promote Tourism in Kashmir Valley has been announced by the Union Minister Tourism, K Chiranjeevi. The statement said that “Kashmir Festival 2013” will be held for a fortnight from May 13 to May 29 at different places in Kashmir.
The Minister said his Ministry is providing financial support for this. “The Festival will be held in Sringar, Pahalgam, Yousmarg, Manasbal, Doodhpathri, Gulmarg, Lolab Valley and Sonmarg and will include activities such as Shikara Races, Cycle Races, Canoeing, River Rafting, Para Gliding, Painting, Swimming Competition, Horse Races. The Festival will also showcase culture of Jammu and Kashmir through performances by the cultural troupes of the State”, the statement adds.
The statement said that for successful organization of the Festival, the Ministry of Tourism is also coordinating with other Ministries including Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation for outlining the concessional fares, tour package, Ministry of Culture for organizing cultural events through different cultural troupes and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for undertaking sports activities such as Boat Race and other adventure sports like paragliding, horse race.
The statement said that local service providers- hoteliers, Guest House Owners including House Boats of Kashmir Division – have already offered discount of 20-30 per cent as a special case for the tour packages and tourists during the forthcoming tourist season.
According to figures of the department of tourism Kashmir, so far over 2 lakh tourists visited Kashmir valley this year. A tourism official said that tourist rush is picking up and around 3000 tourists visit Kashmir daily for past over a week.
As many as 32 flights operate daily from Srinagar airport these days to fly tourists in and out of the Valley.
Kashmir Valley witnessed a boom in tourism in the last two years. Around 13.5 lakh tourist visited Kashmir last year after two years of peaceful summer following summer unrest for three consecutive years in 2008, 2009 and 2010. This year the Tourism department is expecting 14.5 lakh visitors to Kashmir valley.
This year the industry was heading for big boom given the peaceful situation in the valley for the last two years. But Guru’s execution led to the massive cancellations of tourists in February and March this year. After the return of peace tourism started picking up from April.
However, Mohammad Yasin Tuman, Managing Director of Mascot Travels, says that tourist arrivals have picked up after March “but it is just 30 per cent what we had last year.” He said only budgeted tourists are presently coming to Kashmir while hardly few high end tourists arrive in Kashmir these days.
Merajudin Shangloo, owner of Shangloo Travels, one of the major stake holders in tourism sector in Kashmir says that this year tourist arrivals for the timebeing is below 40 per cent as compared to last year.
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