Srinagar, Mar 04: More than 1.20 lakh tourists visited Kashmir valley last month, a top tourism official said on Saturday. The department is also planning to organise a big tourism promotional programme at the highest level.
Speaking to reporters at a function here, director of tourism Faz-ul-Haseeb said this year there is a good number of tourists in the valley; around 1.20 lakh tourists have visited Kashmir so far, and the number is increasing drastically.
The top officer said they are also working to collect the data scientifically from all the hotels across the valley, which will help them get exact figures. In addition, several methods are being taken to increase the tourist flow in the valley.
In the coming time, several programmes are being conducted in many tourist places, which include Pahalgam, the Tulip Garden, and other locations, to promote tourism in the Kashmir Valley that will allure more tourists towards the region.
At present, Bollywood movie shooting is going on in Pahalgam, and anyone who wants to facilitate filming needs to reach the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) to avail of the facilities.
Last year, the highest ever number of tourists visited the Kashmir Valley. Also, there was a huge footfall of international tourists in the valley. The GoI of India has also issued visas on arrival for some countries, and people from those countries are visiting in large numbers.
The department is also organising events at many locations with the aim of providing Kashmir’s beauty to a large audience, which will attract more tourists from throughout the world. This year we are expecting a record number of tourists in the valley, which will also generate employment opportunities for the local youth.
The film makers have also started visiting Kashmir Valley, which will also provide an opportunity for local youth to show their talent and get job opportunities.