Greeting Tourists

Kashmir valley looks set to witness another bumper tourist season this year. Since January 2023 more than 4 lac Tourists have visited the UT so far. Given the past experience, the concerned authorities have a tendency to pat their back for the tourist rush and turn complacent. Srinagar has traditionally served as one of the choicest tourist destinations. However, the aesthetics, which holds key to the promotion of any tourist place, has been a casualty at the hands of official callousness in the past. We have become used to dusty and garbage-littered streets.  Over the years, the greenery is reducing and lots of buildings are coming up. Famed for its scenic beauty, houseboats on placid lakes and clean air, Srinagar used to be a popular international get-away. A casual tour through the city and one can realize the problems it is descending into. Roads inundated with potholes, overflowing drains, non-functional street lights, long and frequent traffic jams, heaps of unattended garbage at many places, packs of stray dogs, footpaths and roadsides encroached  …the list is endless. All these issues also deprive the city of its aesthetic charm. Many experts are of the opinion that the tourism department  should regulate the constructions in accordance with the aesthetic beauty of the place. Kashmir is blessed with natural beauty and the constructions here should come up according to its aesthetic view. This will enhance the beauty of the place. Also, the government should always be ready for any eventuality so that tourism is not affected in the valley. Tourism has been an important component of the UT’s economy. It is not only during summers that tourists are mesmerized by the beauty of Kashmir; in winters also it presents enchanting and enthralling scenes. In that regard sincere efforts are needed to make Kashmir a round-the-year destination for tourists. The need of the hour is to develop state of the art tourism infrastructure by providing proper facilities for the tourists in the valley during both winter and summer season. There is a need to maximize tourism potential of Kashmir to drive the inclusive economic growth of the UT by various means including employment generation. At the same time, development of tourism infrastructure should not come at the cost of the environment. The growing tourist rush augurs well for Kashmir and needs to be managed properly to ensure satisfactory tourist clientele with our existing infrastructure.