‘Hotel occupancy touches 80%’: This autumn, Kashmir bursts at seams with tourists

Srinagar: Post Unlock 2.0, hotel occupancy has crossed 80 percent in Kashmir. 

Tourism stakeholders said the bookings for winter have also surged in the last few weeks.

 President Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Farooq Ahmad Kuthoo said the enquiries for the winter season have increased substantially in the last few weeks.

 “Tourist footfalls are likely to increase in winter.  This time, there is no indication of any fresh Covid wave. Therefore, tourists are not worried about any health-related issue in Kashmir,” he said. 

Kuthoo said keeping Sonmarg open during winter will make Kashmir competitive. “Sonamarg can give good competition to Gulmarg. We often witness a dearth of hotel rooms during the peak of the winter. Sonamarg will attract more tourists,” he said. 

TAAK president said high-end hotels are witnessing 90 percent occupancy. “Budget hotels are registering 40 percent occupancy. A good autumn season is an indication for more arrivals in winter. 

The department too is launching various programmes to boost the arrivals,” he said. The tourism department has planned an aggressive promotional blitzkrieg to sell Kashmir as a niche tourist destination and increase footfalls in the winter months. From organizing festivals to musical evenings, the department has chalked out strategies to promote tourism on a bigger scale.

“On festivals, our hotels remain almost booked to capacity. Right now, tourists from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and West Bengal are visiting Kashmir to spend their vacations” said Waheed Ahmad Malik, former president of Kashmir Hoteliers and Restaurant Association (KHARA).

 An official or the tourism department said they are launching various programmes in winter to attract tourists.

“Winter games, white Christmas, and New Year programmes are all lined up for winter. We are hoping for a good season,” he said. Official data reveal that 2, 41,035 tourists visited the valley till August. They include 796 foreigners.