TOURISM REVIVAL

UT administration in the recent past has taken a number of steps to bring back life on the track post coronavirus lockdown. In this direction, the government has taken a number of decisions including opening of gardens and parks besides other measures to keep Kashmir valley ready for the tourists. With a spike in coronavirus cases it seems very difficult that tourism can be revived as there are at present no takers for Kashmir tourism with growing pandemic throughout the world.

However, the UT administration is keen to revive tourism and make life easier for people due to the economic depression. The tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is all set to reopen, with the government in the process of finalizing the protocol and a date soon to revive the Rs 10,000-crore industry that provides direct and indirect livelihood to about one lakh families.

Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) GC Murmu had issued these directions at a top-level meeting recently, and the news was tweeted by government spokesperson Rohit Kansal. He tweeted “J&K to reopen for tourism soon. Government to issue detailed guidelines and SOP shortly.”

The government has started preparing the blueprint and it will be made public soon. A blueprint is getting ready as this is the tourist season in Kashmir. The hospitality sector sustains the livelihoods of tens of thousands of J&K residents. Thousands of families have been connected to the hospitality industry for generations.

Appreciating the efforts of the government, stakeholders of tourism in Kashmir are not very hopeful that the tourists will be here in the current season.