The Kashmir Valley is currently witnessing an unprecedented surge in tourist activity, with officials from the tourism department anticipate a record-breaking season. The recent commencement of the AmarnathYatra has triggered a sudden spike in tourist numbers, leading to fully booked hotels across the valley’s popular destinations until the end of the month. Many visitors reported challenges in securing accommodation in Srinagar due to the high demand.
SecretaryTourism for Jammu & Kashmir, YashaMudgal, spoke to Rising Kashmir about the ongoing transformation in the region. She attributed the positive shift to the recent G20 event, which significantly enhanced the perception of Jammu & Kashmir as a premier tourist destination. “The extraordinary efforts by the government to develop and promote tourism are evident in the increasing popularity of J&K,” Mudgal stated. “The warm reception of foreign tourists reflects these efforts.”
Another tourism official provided updated figures, revealing that the valley has welcomed 15,39,937 domestic tourists and 25,914 foreign tourists so far this year, totaling 15,65,851 visitors. The G20 summit earlier this year has notably contributed to the rise in international tourism, with the tourism department actively promoting the region on a global scale through various events across the country.
“Kashmir is heaven for all seasons. We came from Delhi, where it is hard to bear five minutes of heat,” said a group of female tourists at LalChowk. They said that currently, Kashmir is also under a heatwave, but it is still bearable.
The tourism official also stated that this year, it was observed that people coming from various parts of the country are also flocking to offbeat destinations in Kashmir, which was not common in previous years.
Nowadays, tourists are also making it to Keran, Tangdhar, Gurez, and other offbeat destinations where previously only local people were spotted. This year, Kashmir has witnessed a good flow of tourists from early on, and in the coming time, it would be doubled due to the holy AmarnathYatra.
Kashmir Valley braces for record-breaking tourist season
