Srinagar: Forget polls, Kashmir is witnessing a renewed rush of tourist bookings for September and October.
After a reduced flow during July and August, tourism numbers are picking up once again. valley is witnessing an influx of visitors.
Travel agents said the flow of tourists has increased by more than 20 percent compared to the previous month. “Compared to the previous month, the tourist flow has increased. Right now we get tourists from south Indian states, Maharashtra and Gujarat. We are hoping for a successful autumn season,” Nisar Ahmad Bhat, a travel agent.
“So, far the election announcement has not had any impact on tourism. We are witnessing a resurgence in the tourist flow for September and October. Noteworthy, we witnessed a very low demand during July and August when the Amarnath Yatra was underway in the valley,” said the President Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, Rouf Ahmad Tramboo.
He said previously, the valley would witness a significant drop in tourist numbers during elections. “Kashmir has been always a safe destination for tourists. We would earlier witness a drop in tourist numbers during the election but this election the tourism sector seems to be the least impacted,” Tramboo said.
Kashmir Marathon 2024, which is also being held on October 20, is equally going to attract visitors from various parts of the country and worldwide.
“It is going to be a mega marathon. We are getting queries from tourists regarding the marathon date and they book their tours for October,” said Bhat.
Pertinently, over one crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir till June 2024. As many as 15.65 lakh tourists including 26,000 foreigners have visited the valley till June.
An official from the tourism department said the flow of tourists is expected to increase further in October and November.
“We are expecting record-breaking numbers this year. Tourist bookings are coming in good numbers for the autumn season. With a wide range of activities, winter too will attract bulk tourists,” he said.