COVID resurgence: Kashmir tourism takes hit; over 30% bookings cancelled

Srinagar: COVID explosion has cast its dark shadow on Kashmir tourism with bookings dropping by over 30 per cent.

A week before, almost all the hotels were fully booked in Kashmir.

With a spike in COVID-19, tourists are cancelling their bookings.

President, Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Farooq Ahmad Kuthoo said bookings have dropped by 30 per cent.

“The new COVID-19 wave is having an adverse impact on Kashmir tourism. Our new bookings are getting cancelled. Those who had planned their trips have deferred their visit,” he said.

Kuthoo said the occupancy in the hotels has dropped considerably in the last few days. “Kashmir hotels were sold out till mid-March. Now the occupancy is dropping and expecting tourists are cancelling their bookings due to COVID-19,” he said.

Last year, Kashmir was bursting at the seams with six lakh arrivals.

The tourism department had planned various programmes to enthral tourists and sell Kashmir as a niche destination.

Hoteliers said they are again incurring losses after a sudden drop in the bookings. “It started with the snowfall when flights got cancelled. Now COVID-19 wave has swept across the country. Hotel occupancy has declined massively,” said Waheed Ahmad Malik former president of Kashmir Hoteliers and Restaurant Association (KHARA)

Hoteliers said they have made special arrangements for tourists despite the COVID wave. “We sanitize our rooms regularly and check the temperature of the tourist before entering the hotel. Masks and hand sanitisers are being made available for the guests,” he said.

Tourism players have asked the government to make RTPCR compulsory for tourists arriving at the Srinagar airport. “They should have two RTPCR reports. It will help in overcoming fear and instiling confidence,” Malik said.