Srinagar: All the steps taken by the government for revival and smooth conduct of tourism in Kashmir have not borne fruit. This was seen as soon as the Omicron-driven third Covid wave hit the valley, with the number of tourists dropping sharply at the peak of the winter tourism season.
The tourism department in the middle of the second Covid wave had trained staff and tourism stakeholders on how to conduct business while observing precautions, sanitisation, and Covid Appropriate behaviour. The staff had also been vaccinated on priority.
Last year, as per officials, more than 4 lakh visitors landed in spring, summer and autumn seasons. Fast forward to the third wave, the number has come down to 35,000 in January. The numbers began to fall in November, and declined further in December. Farooq Kuthoo, a veteran tourism player in Kashmir and President of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), said that more than 30 percent of the tourism footfall has abruptly come down as a result of the third wave.
“The bookings were cancelled abruptly,” he said. “At Gulmarg, the footfall was not impacted that much, but other places like Pahalgam were fully impacted.”
December and January are the two peak winter months for tourism in Kashmir. Snowfall is the main attraction, but despite plenty of snowfall, the tourists are missing. Last year, Gulmarg was booked until June, but the bookings were cancelled when the Covid cases swelled in the first quarter of the year. This year, too, the advance bookings have begun to get affected.
The JK Government has been promoting Kashmir as an all-season destination, but this is the second consecutive year that Covid has played spoilsport. The restriction on international travel has also stopped the flow of foreign tourists.
Kuthoo, however, is hopeful that tourists have begun to show interest to travel in late February and March. “Let’s see how it turns out,” he said.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz