Tourist bookings for Kashmir up by 150%

Srinagar: Tourist bookings for Kashmir have surged by 150 percent as heatwave sweeps the country.

Thomas Cook (India) Limited, one of the leading travel agencies told The Kashmir Monitor that customers across segments are increasingly booking their trips to Kashmir, particularly this Eid long weekend.

“Kashmir continues to remain a summer favourite destination and our customers continue to book their upcoming holidays to their favorite locales in Kashmir. Our online search data reflects significant demand of over 150% versus last month for favorite locales including Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonmarg,” Rajeev Kale – President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India) Limited said.

He said the tourists prefer longer stays ranging between 10-14 days and have higher spending power which has increased by approximately 30-40%.

“Given the high demand to escape the scorching summer heat, our booking trends indicate that customers across segments are booking a range of itineraries right from Uber luxury, premium to value as per their interest and budget,” Kale said.

He said they have witnessed several last-minute bookings from customers.

SOTC Travels, another leading travel agency in India said they have also witnessed an uptick of 80 percent in the demand for Kashmir trips.

“With most states experiencing the heatwave, our customers are keen to escape the rising temperatures to explore the cooler climes of the country. We are witnessing a noteworthy uptick in demand for Kashmir; approximately 80% over last month. Kashmir continues to be one of our top domestic locales with Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonmarg being customer favorite locales and we are expecting this trend to continue,” Daniel D’Souza, President & Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel said.

He said they are witnessing a significant number of bookings for near-term travel to Kashmir from segments including multigenerational families, couples/honeymooners, millennials/young professionals, and groups of friends.

“Increased flight connectivity has made the paradise city easily accessible to customers from across the country. While Shikara rides in Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens remain the highlights, customers are opting for a range of itineraries from luxury to value – depending on their budget,” D’Souza told The Kashmir Monitor.

He said the wildlife enthusiasts and trekkers too prefer Jammu and Kashmir this summer as their holiday destination.

“Wildlife enthusiasts are visiting Kishtwar National Park, Dachigam National Park, Kazinag National Park, and Salim Ali National Park. Adventure seekers are white water rafting in Pahalgam; paragliding in Sonmarg, Gulmarg, Bhaderwah, Sanasar, Harwan (Srinagar); trekking the Vishansar Lake, Tarsar Lake, Gadsar Lake, Alpather Lake, and Satsar Lake; mountain biking over the scenic terrain,” D’Souza said.

Pertinently, the government is expecting another year of bumper tourism in Kashmir. The government is eyeing an investment of Rs 2000 crore per year in the tourism sector to provide jobs to at least 50,000 people.