| As protests continue over terrorist's killing, tourists start leaving Kashmir | | |  Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 11: As violent protests continue in the valley over the killing of HM terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8 last, tourists have started leaving Kashmir. The ongoing unrest, which has seen the valley losing nearly two dozen lives in three days, has badly hit the tourism sector, especially when it was hoping for successful season this year.
The valley, particularly the south Kashmir, has witnessed violence, arson and deaths in the past three days. As a result of the shutdown, the state is losing crores per day in the shapes of taxes, feel stakeholders.
The hotels, houseboats and those associated with tourism including transporters and travel agents have been the worst affected. "It is unfortunate that hundreds of tourists have already started to leave the Valley in the backdrop of an emerging tense scenario. I was to receive a group of tourists from Hyderabad on Tuesday, but they did not come after they heard that curfew has been imposed here. Even if they come, it will be difficult to take them around. Those who are here are stuck in hotels," said Muneer Ahmad of Rajbagh, a travel agent.
He said that even as the Valley witnessed an increase in tourist footfall in the past two years, the industry had been hit hard for three years earlier due to the Amarnath land row in 2008, the infamous Shopian incident in 2009 and then the summer unrest of 2010.
Sources revealed that many tourists from across the country had already started cancelling their bookings.
"I was gearing up to host a fresh group of tourists. I went into a huddle and decided to request the guests not to come even if it means losing some business to me," another travel agent Akash Famboo of Dalgate said.
He said that the real worry is that the situation should not take an ugly turn which could spell doom to the tourism industry. "We do not know what way this unrest takes the turn. As of now nothing has happened which is a good thing. But we have to be cautious and watchful", he said.
The tourism players fear if the situation prolongs it will have a cascading effect on the tourist season in Kashmir. "Tourism is backbone of our economy. It is directly linked to peace. The tourist flow will increase when there is peace. Tourists do not want to be caged. They want to move around, see places freely. If the situation takes an ugly turn the tourism sector is bound to be affected", said a senior officer of the tourism department. |
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