Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday, September 18, that the tourist footfall in Jammu and Kashmir will cross 2.2 crore mark this year. With its stunning natural beauty, rich culture and ancient heritage, Kashmir has long been a popular tourist destination. However, in recent years, the region experienced a significant decline in tourism due to political unrest and security concerns. In August 2019, the Union government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status. The government argued that the abrogation of Article 370 was necessary to bring peace and development to the region. While the abrogation of Article 370 was met with positive reactions, it has had a positive impact particularly on tourism. In 2022, the union territory received a record 1.88 crore tourists, up from 7.7 million in 2008. This bumper tourist rush is due to a number of initiatives taken by the government to improve security in Jammu and Kashmir, including deploying additional troops and launching counter-insurgency operations. This has led to a decrease in violence and made the Union territory safer for tourists. The government has also invested heavily in improving infrastructure. This includes building new roads which have provided seamless connectivity to all the important tourist places to Srinagar city. Improved infrastructure has made it easier for tourists to travel to and from the region. Led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, the government has also launched a number of initiatives to promote tourism in Jammu and Kashmir which includes organizing roadshows and other events in major cities across India and abroad. The increase in tourism has led to job creation and increased revenue for the government. Tourism has also led to the development of social infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals and roads. The occupancy rate of hotels in Kashmir shot up from 50% in 2021 to 70% in 2022. The jump in tourist footfall has also helped to improve the image of Jammu and Kashmir. This has made it easier for the government to attract investment and promote development in the region. Despite some sporadic incidents of terrorism continuing to grab headlines, the strategy adopted by the Union government and UT administration has turned the tables, especially when it comes to the tourism in J&K. This strategy needs to be continued with more vigour so that more and more tourists come to the Union territory which will lead to better social and economic development of the region.