Tourist footfall across Kashmir continues to be on the rise, giving a much needed boost to the regional economy, which is primarily dependent on the tourism and hospitality sectors for its wellbeing.
Till the first week of August, the government data had revealed that around 1.27 crore tourists have visited J&K so far, which was much higher than the figure for the same period last year.
The regional administration is very confident about a new record being set for tourist arrivals by the end of the year.
Brighter Kashmir spoke with a group of tourists from Bulgaria in Yousmarg, a hill station located in the western part of Budgam district, about 53 kilometers south of Srinagar, to get a sense of their experiences in the Kashmir Valley.
The group of foreign tourists was staying in the newly opened tourist resort Doodhganga Resorts at Kanidajan, Yousmarag.
Bulgarian group leader Alinah said, “We are seven people from Bulgaria. Some of us are present here before you. Our experience has been very beautiful. It has been a very nice and joyful stay.”
She described the local people as very friendly and communicative.
“This journey has been very, very nice for us. Also, I now see a changed Srinagar -- that is from the time I saw it during my last visit in September 2017. I had also come then also with another group to take part in a yoga competition,” Alinah said.
Alinah said that this year’s visit and her group’s participation in the yoga event has been a very nice experience.
“Some of our people have won medals. Overall everything is fine; actually nature is beautiful, people are beautiful, and all things are nice,” she said.
The group praised the hospitality of the local population and beauty of the Yousmarg.
Another tourist and yoga participant, Stepania, told Brighter Kashmir that she found Kashmir to be a very magnificent and lovely place, and added that the local people had particularly been very hospitable and communicative.
“Kashmir’s culture is marvelous. This visit to Kashmir is my first and it has been a totally different experience to the other countries that I have visited. Everything is different and nice,” she said.
Asked what would their message be when they return to Bulgaria, and whether they would describe Kashmir as a very safe and pleasant place to visit, Rajoil, another tourist, said, “Yes, I think will tell them that. I am visiting Kashmir for the first time and it has been really wonderful.”
“We have been here for a couple of days now, and so I can’t say very much. I can talk about what I have seen so far. Naturewise, this place is very much like Bulgaria. The weather is so much like our weather. The people are really open hearted and always smiling. Their responses to us have been warm and friendly,” said another tourist, who did not reveal his name.
After the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A by centre on August 5, 2019, the ground situation in J&K has improved. Now not only are domestic tourists but also foreign tourists are thronging to Kashmir.
In fiscal 2022-23, J&K reported a record tourist footfall of 1.88 crore, which was the highest number recorded in the past three decades.
The Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has said the increased tourist footfall has been made possible because of a peaceful and prosperous ecosystem being in place, besides Kashmiris extending full hearted support and cooperation to those coming in from other parts of India and the world.
The message, therefore, going out from the valley is that Kashmir is safe for both foreign and domestic tourists. This, at a time, when India is gearing up to host an international yoga festival from March 8 to 24, 2024.