Kashmir witnesses huge influx of foreign tourists after decades

Kashmir Valley is back on the International tourism map. After decades, huge numbers of tourists from across the world are landing in Srinagar. According to the government of Jammu and Kashmir, over 15 thousand foreign tourists have visited the Kashmir Valley in the first six months of 2023.

Millions of tourists have visited the Kashmir Valley in 2023 and the numbers are going up every day. The number of foreign tourists arriving in the valley in the very first six months of 2023 has crossed 15 thousand. In 2022, the total number of foreign tourists who visited the Kashmir Valley was around 4000. The government is hopeful that all the previous records of foreign tourists visiting Kashmir Valley would be broken.

''After many years, this is a positive development for the tourism of Jammu and Kashmir. This year, we have already reached 15 and a half thousand foreign tourists who come from various countries across the world into Jammu and Kashmir. We are hoping that the number of foreign tourists will be far in excess of what we had last year. And last year was apparently the highest number in many decades. This is a very positive development and I am very sanguine that the G20 event which was held in Srinagar in the last week of May will go a long way in increasing the foreign tourists rush and we are seeing a lot of queries and bookings that have been made from various countries,'' said Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary Tourism, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir hosted a G20 meeting in the month of May. Ambassadors and foreign delegates from around 17 countries participated in these meetings with a focus on tourism. The government is hopeful that G20 meetings held in Srinagar would translate into more promotion of Kashmir tourism across the world. The numbers have already crossed all the previous records and the government is also planning to do international promotions, especially in Southeast Asian, Middle East and North American countries.

''Promotion of tourism is a very critical task undertaken by the Department of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. We are slightly modifying the methods of promotion. Earlier we used to have road shows, we are continuing with that road shows and promotions and major travel marts. However, with changing times it's also important to department and intervention by way of promotion change, this is the era of digital marketing, and this is the era of online marketing. We are doing that, and we are starting virtual tours. We are doing airline promotions so that frequent flyers can be attracted. Outside of the country, there are various trade travel marts that take place, JK tourism department is going to participate in these in a big way, and one in Dubai had a positive response. We are focussing on those countries where we believe that they will come, southeast Asian countries are a huge market for us and we are focussing on that. The Middle East is a core focus area and a target too. The Northern American continent is a very important aspect of our promotional activities,'' said Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary Tourism, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir was one of the favourite destinations of foreign tourists in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. With the start of the insurgency, the numbers fell drastically. And now with peace returning to Kashmir Valley, the foreign tourists are yet again flocking to the 'Paradise on Earth'.

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''Kashmir is amazing, we came from Ladakh, and we have been here for two days. We are exploring the whole Valley and will be going to Gulmarg and Pahalgam. So far, I really like it. It's very clean and fresh and the people are lovely. So yes, I like Kashmir a lot. I have been travelling for three months in India. I wanted to explore the north side of India. Rented a bike from Delhi and have been travelling all around the North. Kashmir is amazing and looks like northern Italy with lakes and mountains. It reminds me of my hometown,'' said Luca, a Tourist from Italy.

Social media is also one of the main areas where Kashmir is being promoted. A lot of visitors who come to Kashmir from across the world are putting up pictures and videos appreciating the beauty of the valley on their social media handles.

It's not only foreign Tourists but also domestic tourists who are heading to the Kashmir Valley. Kashmir has broken all the previous records of tourist arrivals and that explains why Jammu and Kashmir government has opened over 300 new tourist destinations across the union territory.

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