Many paens have described it as Heaven on earth, but this paradise is yet recovering from the ravages of the 2014 floods coupled with the ever present underlying fear of militant trouble. Even as tourists trickle into Kashmir, tourism stakeholders are depending on the Sayeed government to bring back its lost glory. By Steena Joy
In a bid to boost the fortunes of an industry plagued by militancy and recovering from last year’s devastating floods, Jammu & Kashmir’s directorate of tourism opened it’s first Travel Mart since 1988 at the Sher Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar recently. The three-day Travel Mart saw participation from international buyers from 11 countries including Thailand, Korea, Italy, Malaysia, UK, among others.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, chief minister, Jammu & Kashmir, said, “It is my vision to make Kashmir an all season destination. The floods had devastated the Valley and building back the infrastructure is a time consuming process. I am happy that the travel trade in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad are trying very hard and supporting us in changing the perception of Kashmir as an unsafe destination. There should be no ‘off season’ for this beautiful state. We can do this by offering adventure tourism, mountaineering, golf tourism as weekend packages for domestic tourists. We want to introduce skiing not just at Gulmarg, but also at Pahalgam and Sonmarg. We need to make cycling tracks and offer more such activities than just offering gardens and snow.”
Shailendra Kumar, commissioner secretary, tourism, Jammu & Kashmir government, said that the aim was to increase tourist arrivals into Kashmir from the current 20 lakh to 80 lakh visitors and in Jammu from 1.10 lakh to 1.5 crore. “It is imperative to focus on repeat tourists. For this, we should roll out a Kashmir Calling campaign soon. Our talks with the film industry is finally bearing fruit with the Salman Khan movie, Bajrang Bhaijaan, being shot here in the Valley. Rakesh Om Mehra has also shown his intent to film his next, Anil Kapoor’ s son’s launch movie here. Citing the example of Japan, we need to make the destination affordable. We need to get out of the ‘expensive’ image tag,” he affirmed. Affordable connectivity is another issue. The one hour flight from Delhi to Srinagar commands one of the world’s most expensive airfares.
Mountainous task
That is just the tip of the Herculean task ahead. While moving around Srinagar, one can still see roads being re-built and clean-up operations in full swing. All this amid army presence in the streets and alleys. Many hotels which were under water for many days are slowly picking up occupancies. The Valley is limping back to normalcy but many hoteliers we spoke to in Gulmarg were running less than the expected occupancies in the peak season and were hopeful the crowds will return. And they are looking to the Sayeed government to give the industry the direction and push it needs.
The iconic Dal Lake is still a crowd puller but it has lost some of its pristine beauty due to the profileration of houseboats and the resultant increase in pollutants. The well known floating vegetable markets which were a major tourist attraction no longer happen because the higher water levels have seeped into the vegetable patches and made them unsuitable for cultivation.
The administration is of course working hard towards a comprehensive plan to boost tourism fortunes. At the Jammu & Kashmir Travel Mart, Sayeed suggested forming houseboat clusters so as to reduce pollutants in the Dal Lake. He added that an international yoga centre is being built at Patnitop and water sports will also be given a boost. Sayeed was also keen on organising a Davos type tourism conclave in the state where the corporate sector from all across the country and industry stakeholders can convene together with the prime minister too attending it. He also hinted at starting a helicopter service to Pahalgam for high spending golf tourists and also an integrated theme park on the lines of Sentosa in Singapore. But this again must be seen for its impact on the eco sensitivity of the region.
During the business session on ‘Sustainable Tourism – A way Forward’, Farooq A Shah, director tourism Kashmir, and managing director, Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) said, “We must avoid creating concrete jungles. We are formulating a tourism policy banning polythene bags in the state, recycling waste in hotels and promoting the use of non polluting fuels like CNG. The government will form enforcement squads to implement these rules and also focus on disaster management. We will promote activities like trekking which do not affect the environment. We will also work on a complete circuit for heritage tourism.”
Faiz Bakshi, joint secretary general, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) opined, “Growth can be sustained only if we sustain the ecology of the area. Tourism is all about having respect for the carrying capacity of that destination. The Jammu & Kashmir government should use scientific methods to determine the carrying capacity of each tourist region. Also, tourism should benefit the remotest communities. We have 25,000 registered pony riders and 4,600 registered shikara owners (supporting two families per shikara). They should get the benefits. This is what sustainable tourism is all about.”
The state also has a dearth of five-star properties, The Lalit and Vivanta by Taj being among the few. In Gulmarg, the Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa is quite popular. While JKTDC is planning new resorts at Doodhpatri and Bungus Valley, it is still not enough to offer toruists a wide platter of accommodation options. At the Travel Mart, this reporter learnt that Radisson Blu will foray into Jammu & Kashmir with two properties set to open in 2016. The properties are coming up in Srinagar and Tangmarg which is en route to Gulmarg. The properties are being developed by the local MTC group which owns the renowned Grand Mumtaz and Mumtaz Towers in Srinagar. The group has signed a management agreement with Radisson Blu to manage both properties. Apart from Srinagar, MTC group has hotels in Tehri, Katra, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg. Mustaq Chaya, chairman, MTC group informed, “The total cost of both projects is Rs 300 crore (Rs 150 crore each). While the Tangmarg property will have 150 rooms, the Srinagar Radisson Blu will have 153 rooms. This property which was originally a royal palace will also have 10 Heritage Suites which will open first in 2015.”
This could well be the beginning of more hotel brands making a beeline to the Valley and a sign that it is being considered as a safe investment destination.