Over 90,000 pilgrims performing the Amarnath yatra in the first five days have raised hopes of the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir reeling under the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The increasing rush of pilgrims has prompted the Union territory administration to issue at least 5000 tokens daily to accommodate the maximum number of pilgrims.
Ahead of the yatra, the UT administration had decided to throw open a few tourist hotspots after conducting a fresh security audit.
A fresh proposal to reopen a few more popular tourist places is under the active
consideration of the UT authorities.
Commissioner Secretary, Tourism Department, Yasha Mudgal, Monday said the remaining tourist spots which were closed down after the Pahalgam terror attack are expected to be thrown open in a phased manner after receiving the nod from the various agencies.
The J and K Government is working closely with various stakeholders to woo pilgrims keen on spending some more time with their loved ones at different tourist places in the valley and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
On Monday, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, also announced that tourism in Kashmir has come back to life, following a temporary setback after the Pahalgam terror attack.
He credited the revival to the proactive steps taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Central Government. “After the Pahalgam incident, the stagnant tourism has come back to life. This confidence-building exercise will be fruitful. And shortly, Kashmir’s tourism will return to its previous momentum,” Shekhawat told reporters in Srinagar after attending the inaugural session of the two-day ‘Tourism Secretaries’ Conference of all States and Union Territories. The conference is being held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar and it has brought together the tourism secretaries and Heads from across the country for high-level deliberations on collaborative policy-making and strategic planning in the tourism sector.
Shekhawat recalled his visit to the Valley last June, during which he traveled extensively to spread the message that “Kashmir is safe.” He urged people to move past recent events and focus on reviving the tourism sector. “Let us forget what has happened and move forward. Let us revive the tourism of Kashmir and try to take it forward as it has been growing for the last three years,” he said.
On the objectives of holding the two-day conference in Srinagar, the Union Minister said the purpose was twofold- one was that Kashmir is safe post Pahalgam attack.
“The tourism secretaries from all over the country, who deal with tourism subjects, should go and give a message in their states so that our domestic tourism can build up by taking it back as a confidence- building exercise. Second, to jointly explore new ideas for enhancing the end-to-end tourist experience,” he said.