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| J&K’s tourism season loss is gain of neighbours | | IATO concerned over situation | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 2: The Indian association of tour operators (IATO) chairman, Capt. Anil Gour have expressed strong resentment against the political parties who for their petty vote bank politics have played havoc with tourism industry in J&K for the last two years.
Addressing a press conference here today, Gour said it is most surprising that those people who consider themselves as the leaders of the masses are again pushing the entire state into a morass of political and communal brinkmanship forgetting that in this process the remaining tourist season will be ruined and cause a loss of above Rs. 250 crores to the Tourism & Hospitality Industry of the state during the ensuing period of Shri Amarnath Yatra.
He said this year due to the holding of the general elections in the month of April-May there has been a great setback to the tourism industry with 95% cancellations & now everyone is looking forward to the successful completion of the Amarnath Yatra. These myopic leaders now want to deprive the people connected with the tourist trade of their yearly livelihood by asking for curtailment in the Yatra by giving lame excuses of environmental degradation & others when their communal card has failed. He said the pilgrim tourist for Shri Amarnath Yatra always comes with a minimum program of 6-8 days which they spends in the Kashmir Valley after the Darshans, thus giving the entire hospitality & tourism industry of Kashmir in particular a great economic boost added last year 4.5 lakh pilgrim undertook the yatra and considering a meager amount of only Rs. 450 crores to the entire tourism and hospitality sector right from the poor pony & pithu people to the hotel & restaurants, houseboats & shikara owners, bus and taxi operator to travel and tour operators of the Kashmir valley. The economic boost of Rs. 450 crores has a trickle down effect to the poorest of the poor and gives them hope to live, when all the successive govt’s failed to provide adequate avenues.
He said IATO J&K chapter would apprise these leades that by extending the Amarnath yatra to 2 months- the tourist season in the valley has been extended from 4 months of March to June to a full 6 months from March to August. Due to the facilities created by the SASB the pilgrims too have increased from thousands to 4.5 lakhs and are going to increase still further in the coming years. The extension to 2 months has been due to a constant interaction of IATO with the SASB wherein the tremendous economic benefits to the entire Kashmir valley were explained in detail. He said our loss is the neighboring states gain & is amply visible by the progress seen in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttranchal. The state govt. should have a holistic view & immediately take up building an extensive road network in Jammu region to open up new areas of Sudh Mahadev- Mantalai & beyond, Bani-Basholi, & Bhaderwah- Kishtwar to enable this pilgrim tourist see the varied beauty of this state.
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