Srinagar, Nov 26: As the usual upbeat sentiment, witnesssed ahead of every winter about tourism in Kashmir is clearly missing this year, stakeholders have urged the government to work on measures that could help in revival of this sector in the Valley.
Tour trade players and hospitality stakeholders as well as transport sector, which have been badly hit due to a a major drop in tourist arrivals in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in April this year are cautiously optimistic about the forthcoming winter season. Notably, hotel occupancy rates have nosedived to as low as 10 per cent, while hundreds of tourist vehicles are lying idle.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking an collaborative effort between the government and tourism stakeholders. KCCI has sought a meeting with the CM to draw a roadmap, which addresses both the short term slump in tourism and draws a long-term plan to ensure that hoteliers, transporters, houseboat owners, shikarawalas, handicraft sector and all other stakeholders can be saved from a complete collapse.
“The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry wishes to draw your kind attention to the extremely fragile and deteriorating state of the tourism sector in Kashmir. We write with a sense of urgency, as the hospitality industry-which forms the backbone of economic activity and sustains a very large number of households-is presently undergoing an unprecedented crisis,” reads the Chamber’s letter to the CM.
It says tourist arrivals have witnessed a steep decline in recent months, a situation that has further worsened after the Pahalgam incident of April 22.
“As a result, all major constituents of the tourism ecosystem are facing severe economic distress. Hoteliers across the Valley report occupancy levels below ten percent. Houseboat owners are experiencing prolonged periods without bookings,” the KCCI letter read.
The chamber has highlighted that travel agents, despite minimal business, are receiving GST notices, adding to their operational challenges. It said tourist taxi operators and transport providers have reported that a large number of vehicles remain idle, directly affecting the livelihood of hundreds of families.
“The Chamber is deeply concerned that if this situation persists, it may lead to long-term and possibly irreversible damage to the tourism sector. Several hotel and accommodation establishments are already contemplating the sale of assets due to sustained financial pressure. The sentiment within the industry is one of acute anxiety, and stakeholders strongly believe that only timely intervention from the highest levels of the government can stabilise the situation and restore confidence among visitors,” reads the letter.
“In light of the above, KCCI had earlier requested a meeting with your good office. We respectfully reiterate this request and seek an early appointment to discuss the current situation of the tourism sector in detail, present ground-level feedback from stakeholders, and submit recommendations that may help in initiating immediate corrective and confidence-building measures,” it said. The Chamber, along with representatives from hoteliers, houseboats, travel agencies, transport operators, and other allied sectors, stands ready to brief you comprehensively on the challenges, as well as the opportunities for revival, reads the letter.
Apart from KCCI, several other tourism stakeholders are also disappointed due to the slump owing to a sharp decrease in tourist arrivals. Hoteliers Club Chairman, Mushtaq Chaya said although the forthcoming winter season offered some hope that Kashmir could see signs of tourists returning to the Valley but the overall scenario was grim, he added. Chaya said that the hotel occupancy rate in the prime tourist hill resorts of the Valley was between just 10 to 15 per cent. “All persons directly or indirectly involved to tourism sector are at the receiving end and suffering losses. There is some hope that a section of tourists may be eager to visit Gulmarg for experiencing snowfall but we can only wait and hope for some sort of a revival,” said Chaya.
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