Renewed talk on tourism

After the Pahalgam attack early this year, the tourist footfall reduced almost to naught. That was a blow to the economic prospect of a sizeable number of people in Kashmir. After months, it is time for the government to recalibrate its response. It is time now, as the winters are approaching, to prepare the turf for sending signals of total safety to the people outside Kashmir.

Kashmir is not just a visitors’ paradise in summer months, as the temperatures in the rest of India soar up too high, and Kashmir is way cooler in those days. Kashmir is a huge potential for winter tourism. We all know that we have some of the best snow slopes for skiing. We all know that people in the warmer regions in India always wish to enjoy snowfall, and spend time when the earth is draped in the white blanket. In the last many years we have seen how different places, like Gulmarg, emerged as great place for winter sports. Not just Gulmarg, other places, like Pahalgam, also saw a great foot fall in the winter months in last couple of years.

The beginning in this regard seems to have been made by announcing the opening up of some tourist spots that were closed in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror incident. If a right policy is adopted and right steps taken to create a wider impression about the safety of tourists in Kashmir, it is expected that we can have a good winter season for those who are in this space. That might even, to an extent, compensate for the losses suffered by the people associated with the tourist industry and the allied sectors.

Since the blow to this sector was too heavy it would require greater willingness on part of the government to get tourism back on rails. It is only if people from outside Kashmir started trickling in, which one can find has started, that those in the industry can warm up for a good season ahead.

Government needs to send positive signals form now onwards.