Srinagar, Apr 24: Soaring airfares to the Kashmir Valley has become a cause of concern for those associated with the tourism industry. The stakeholders say as the Kashmir Valley heads towards peak summer tourism, airfares are touching new heights daily, which they believe is negatively impacting the industry.
The people associated with industry said that every flight connecting other states to Kashmir valley is seeing significant increases in fares daily, which is adversely affecting the industry. While Kashmir is witnessing a good number of visitors, the numbers could have been higher if airfares were more reasonable.
A travel agent in Srinagar told Rising Kashmir that every summer sees a surge in ticket prices, and often people refrain from booking tickets due to the high rates. Recently, tickets from Srinagar to Delhi were priced around 3500–4000 rupees; currently, these tickets are being sold for 7000 rupees, sometimes exceeding 10000 rupees.
Chairman of the Kashmir Houseboat Owners’ Association, Manzoor Ahmad Pakthoon, stated that this situation has persisted for the last couple of years, and despite repeated pleas to higher authorities, there has been no improvement.
Pakthoon continued that tourists from various parts of India are complaining about the airfares, noting that travel to destinations outside India is more affordable than travelling to the Kashmir Valley. He suggested that the government should increase flights, which would help decrease airfares.
Tourists are also claiming that travel to Dubai, Hong Kong, and several other destinations is more affordable than travelling to Kashmir.
“We have regularly appealed to the aviation minister to address this growing concern,” Pakthoon said.
The continuous fare hikes also affect not only tourists but also students studying outside the valley and patients with medical emergencies.
Another travel agent mentioned that Indian families often prefer to travel to Kashmir, but due to high airfares, they cannot afford the travel. “This issue should be addressed by the Ministry of aviation to make air travel affordable for everyone,” he added.
