Owais Gul
Srinagar, May 16: Ahead of the G-20 event slated to be held in Srinagar, the tourism players in Jammu and Kashmir are expecting a further boom in the sector and also are pining a hope the visiting delegates will help in removing the negative travel advisory that is keeping the foreign tourists away from the Valley.
Several tourism players including Hoteliers, Shikara Walas, Tour Operators and others, who welcomed the G-20 event in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mushtaq Chaya, a well-known hotelier of Kashmir and Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club (JKHC), said that the G-20 event in Srinagar is an opportunity for J&K to witness a further boom in tourism.
“Most of the countries visiting J&K for the event have advisories in their respective countries about a ban on travel to the UT, but the event would help to revoke the previous advisory and the people from these countries would start visiting J&K,” Chaya said.
He added that ahead of the event, the roads have been developed and decorated across and thus gives a good impression among the people, which is a welcome step as well.
Chairman Indian Association of Tour Operators – JK Chapter, Nasir Shah said that the event would act as a game changer for Jammu & Kashmir, saying that they are expecting an increase in the footfall of foreign tourists in the Union Territory.
“We are hopeful that at least one million foreign tourists will visit J&K in a year after the conduct of the event in Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said, adding that the event will carry a good message to the world and expectantly the advisory is revoked at earliest.
Wali Muhammad, President of Shikara Owners Association Kashmir (SOAK) said that the domestic tourists are already visiting J&K in a large number, but the event would help to increase footfall of foreign tourists.
“We have already kept 160 Shikaras ready for the event, which is a hope for all of us for the further boom in the tourism sector,” he said.
Faiz Ahmad Bakshi as Secretary General of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) said that they are expecting that the issue of advisory in the foreign countries will be addressed and the advisories are removed with the help of this event. “If we get a chance, we will certainly raise this issue. If they are visiting here, it means that things have improved and thus there is no need for any advisory,” Bakshi said.
As far as the trade is concerned, he stated that they are hopeful that the trade between these countries and Kashmir will increase with the help of this event.
Chairman Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association, Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon said that the event will help to increase the footfall of the foreign tourists in Jammu & Kashmir, saying that it would be a big achievement for one and all in case the advisories in foreign countries on travel to the Union Territory is removed.
Notably, the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting is scheduled to be held in Srinagar between May 22 to May24.
