As tourists from 3 key states cancel in droves, visitors from South India keep a date with Kashmir

Tramboo said that estimates indicate a loss of Rs 5,000-6,000 crore this tourist season, especially given that visitors from Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal are cancelling in droves. North Indian states, stakeholders say, aren’t major contributors to the sector.

While July and August are traditionally lean periods, tourists return to the Valley in September. (Express photo: Shuaib Masoodi)

“But there are very few cancellations from South Indian, which contributes 20-25 per cent, and that has given us a ray of hope,” Tramboo said. “We have also got some new queries for May and June.”

The tourist season in Kashmir starts in mid-March and lasts until mid-June, when summer vacations are announced in most parts of India. While July and August are traditionally lean periods, tourists return to the Valley in September.

“We are also going slow on promotions because of what happened,” said Tramboo. “Summer season is as good as over; now we are planning for autumn and winter.”

Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon, president of the Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association, said, “The government will have the exact figures. But what we can see from bookings and cancellations is that tourism is down by 90 per cent. From April 5 to June 9, houseboats used to be fully packed, but there is hardly anyone here.”

Stakeholders said the government’s decision to close 49 tourist destinations to visitors will add to the pain.

“You now have three major tourist destinations left – Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam. If a tourist goes to Pahlagam, he can’t move to Aru, Baisaran or Betab valley,” Tramboo said.

Muzamil Ahmad Wani, a resident of Srinagar, was constructing a restaurant and a hut at Dodapathri after quitting his job. The Dodaptahri resort in Budgam, 45 km from Srinagar city, is one of the 49 areas on the closure list. “I left my engineering job and took a loan (to do up the resort). It is now closed even for locals,” he said.

Gurez, a valley on the Line of Control in Bandipore, has been closed for both tourists and locals from Kashmir. Mehmood Ahmad, who runs the Gurez Inn Hotel and Restaurant, said, “The Army has put a checkpoint at Tragbal (on the way to Gurez) and no one is allowed any further,” he said.

“All the bookings have been cancelled. I had six employees and had to let go of five,” he said. “The tensions between India and Pakistan on the border are not helping.”