Tourism takes a hit

While the tourism was picking up in the current season the second wave of covid has started the process of cancellation of advance bookings for the summer season.

In such a situation when on a daily basis hundreds of travelers and tourists are testing covid positive , the government can do little to save the tourist season as the stakeholders in Kashmir valley have already suffered a lot in the past few seasons.

Now the government has decided to focus on vaccination and testing and have established a testing facility for the travelers who enter the Kashmir valley by road.

Hotel industry and houseboats have already suffered due to the tourists coming as covid positive cases as the government refused to provide any quarantine facility for them and directed the hotels and houseboats to keep some rooms for such travelers as quarantine centers.

Hundreds of the workers who came in direct contact with covid positive cases in the hospitality sector have already got infected and in one of the hotels of Srinagar forty staffers tested positive forcing the hotel owner to close down his establishment.

The authorities could have started the testing much earlier especially of the travelers who were coming by road and have stayed in Kashmir valley as they were not tested on time many of them while traveling back have tested positive sending alarm bells in the staff of hotels and houseboats.