Kashmir waits in anticipation of tourists
Private tourism players say if the government doesn't intervene, the situation would get worse. They say September 2014 floods have led to decline of tourists and efforts should be made to address the problem.
For the past few weeks, Muhammad Ashraf Ratta (45) comes on his shikara, every morning to the Dal Lake with a hope that he would get some work. And as the evening engulfs, a disheartened Ratta heads home without earning anything.
"Before September 2014 floods I would charge Rs 700 for a shikara ride in the lake for an hour. Now, I don't get tourists even for Rs 100. Tourists are not visiting this place after the floods," he rues.
Ratta is not the only one. Almost all shikarawalas are seen sitting idle waiting for tourists. "We are killing time here. If we sit in our homes we will get mad," Ratta said.
Private tourism players say if the government doesn't intervene, the situation would get worse. They say September 2014 floods have led to decline of tourists and efforts should be made to address the problem.
"There is a perception that the tourism infrastructure in the Valley is in a shambles. We have done nothing to correct it. We are losing tourists to Himachal Pradesh and southern India," Nasir Shah, who is convener of Tourism Forum said.
Shah, a known name in tourism sector of J&K, said, they were expecting that some 12 lakh tourists would visit the Valley from January 2014 to April 2015.
"I think we will not cross even the half figure mark now," he said.
Shah said that although last year's flood caused huge damage, it didn't hit tourist destinations and hotels situated in Gulmarg, Phalgam, Sonamarg and other places.
Several players in the tourist circuit also blame the recent elections for keeping the tourists away.
Zahoor Ahmad Tramboo, president Chambers of Commerce and Industries, said hotel industry in the Valley has lost 90 per cent work when compared to the same period last year.
"I am telling you with confidence that almost all the hotels in Kashmir do not even have 25 per cent occupancy at this time though we are offering huge discounts and hotels are in good condition," he said.
Slamming the media for terming the floods as an epidemic, Tramboo said, "The point is there was no epidemic. But there are no positive stories about how we fought back. People in other states still has an impression that everything is in a shambles here and they prefer to visit Himachal Pradesh and southern India."
Director Tourism, Kashmir, Talat Pervaiz conceded that there is 50 per cent decline in tourist arrivals because of perception created by media about Kashmir after the September 2014 floods.
"Deferred snowfall this year has also aggravated the problem as most tourists are giving Kashmir a skip," he added.