The Indian Government has bet big on Kashmir to boost Indian tourism. GOI is trying to make Jammu and Kashmir a prime tourist destination in the light of a growing absence of international travel. One of the initiatives the Government has taken is to increase the flight arrangements to Jammu and Kashmir by introducing more direct flights from major cities across India.

This is expected to boost more local tourist destinations in the Jammu and Kashmir valley, centered around adventure, culture, and honeymoon tourism. The idea came through right after December 2020 saw a massive hike in tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. As per Ladakh news, December 2020 was the best tourism year for the valley in several years. Hotels were sold out weeks ahead in Winter. While in January 2020, the valley welcomed 4863 tourists, the number literally tripled to 13,237 tourists in December.

Improvements in Jammu and Kashmir Tourism

Narendra Modi has granted INR 768 crore in Jammu & Kashmir’s budget, INR 508 Cr. more than the previous year, for the expansion of the travel and tourism sector.

Kashmir Tourism saw a five-time hike in tourists visiting from across India after the abolition of Article 370. This has helped revive the state’s economy after international travel was banned due to the lockdown indefinitely.

However, to encourage domestic travel and tourism throughout the year, direct flights to the valley are essential. Right now, there are no direct and night flights from the southern cities, including Bengaluru. The tourism administration officiated by the lieutenant governor, Major Sinha, is working on it and plans to introduce direct flights from Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad to Srinagar. The administration also intends to bring Kashmir and Jammu valley back to the silver screen through the new film policy.

Sonmarg is being revamped as a Ski destination for the adventure seekers, and camps are being laid at Sansar and Patnitop for creating new trekking and hiking experiences. This is good news for Indian Tourism and the country’s economy for the long term.

For more Kashmir news, log on to Daily Excelsior.