Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Jan 1: The tourism footfall in the Kashmir valley has witnessed a noteworthy decline this year, with a stark difference in houseboat bookings, as 90 to 95% of houseboats remained vacant during the New Year celebrations, compared to 70 to 75% occupancy in the previous year, said Manzoor Pakhtoon, President of the Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association (KHBOA).
Pakhtoon noted that travel advisories and other factors have impacted the influx of tourists to the valley, while houseboat owners also suffered during this year’s New Year celebrations.
He said that focusing on the New Year period, a stark difference in houseboat bookings was noted, with 90 to 95% of houseboats remaining vacant, compared to 70 to 75% occupancy in the previous year.
“The decline in tourism was evident, with houseboat owners struggling to fill their boats during the peak season, especially during New Year celebrations,” he said.
He said the tourism downturn may be attributed to several reasons, including the impact of travel advisories and the ongoing economic challenges, or the “economic crunch” faced by both the country and the state. “The lack of a strong tourist flow has affected houseboat owners and other stakeholders in the tourism industry,” he said.
“We used to have a 90-day tourism season, then 120 days, but for the past two or three years, we have been seeing a year-round flow. However, this year, the valley has seen a decline in tourism flow,” he said.
He said the “economic crunch” within the country and state might be a cause for the decline in tourism here, along with the high unemployment rate among youth and other factors that discourage travel, all contributing to the drop in tourists visiting the valley.
He added that they have also seen a decline in tourism in other parts of the country as well and are expecting the government to play an important role in its revival. “Kashmir is a brand in itself, and people love to travel here. They want to visit here, and the government must intervene and work on increasing tourist footfall,” he said.
“As the valley is about to be connected by train, domestic travelers are also expected to arrive here, and we are expecting high tourist numbers in the coming time,” he added.
“The government should also do promotional programs to boost tourism. Regarding New Year and houseboat bookings, he said 90 to 95% of houseboats were vacant, while, compared to the previous year, we had 70 to 75% occupancy,” he said.
