Tourism across the Kashmir is playing a great role in building the economy and is widely used for building the economic development and economic prosperity around the state. Tourism sector is growing day by day and helping nations to build the economic and social prosperity of the country. Nations around the world are investing a lot of money in building great infrastructure for tourism, so that they can attract tourists from around the world.
The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, commercially known as Sonamarg-Vishansar-Naranag Trek, is a Himalayan high-altitude route that is an all-time favorite among trekkers all across India.
It is confirmed that tourism has become a widespread leisure activity among individuals and it is considered as one of the leading largest industries in the world. The increased popularity of international tourism not only supplies economical growth for the host countries, but also promotes understanding and trust among people with different backgrounds.
Along Boulevard Road on the banks of the Dal Lake, dozens of carefree tourists, including women in tracksuits or shorts, can be seen walking or jogging in the early mornings or late evenings. Some take Shikara rides to go crisscrossing through houseboats into the interiors of the lake. For an hour-long Shikara ride, they pay Rs 800.
Over the past two years, a number of bunkers have been built across Srinagar, along with special search roadblocks. Security forces’ vehicles with CCTVs mounted atop are seen in large numbers in Srinagar.
All shopkeepers are supposed to have CCTV cameras. Even for local Kashmiris who are familiar with mountains, meadows and valleys, this trek gives a different experience. He adds that trekkers who come from South India and metros get mesmerized by the beauty of the alpine lakes.
Hoteliers say there had been a slight fall in tourist rush during the Amarnath Yatra, due to the strict security restrictions on the movement of tourists visiting the Valley. Around 3.65 lakh pilgrims visited the Amarnath shrine this year. But the hoteliers say tourism will shoot up again.
Kashmir has rightly been described as “Heaven on Earth” or “Paradise on the Earth” for its breathtaking beauty throughout the world. Tourism sector has a great potential in Jammu & Kashmir and it also provides immense business opportunities for the people here.
Tourism is perhaps the only sector which starts paying off immediately as it has no gestation period. It has played an important role in the development of the economy of J&K.
Riyaz Ahmad Lone, who runs a trekking company and a hotel in Pahalgam, says last year a number of high-end tourists started visiting the Valley as Europe, South East Asia and other countries were closed due to Covid-19. “They found Kashmir cheaper and also breathtakingly beautiful. This year they came again and they are now going to be regular to Kashmir.” says Lone.
Kashmir Great Lake Trek is around 70 km long. It winds through innumerable vast meadows, snowclad mountain passes, rocky barren lands, streams, glaciers and alpine lakes. The highest mountain pass called Harmuk pass, is at around 13,800 ft.
As tourism is seeing an unprecedented surge, the government has launched 75 homestays in rural areas to promote rural tourism. In Delhi, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, said in the Rajya Sabha that an estimated 1.06 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir from January-July 3 this year. They include pilgrims who visited the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra in Jammu and Amarnath Yatris. Officials say 15 lakh is the number of tourists who visited the Valley and it is the highest number in the past decade.
Tourists around the world love to visit the state because the state is blessed with the beauty of nature. The state should focus on infrastructure development so that more and more tourists visit every year. Rural and Border tourism growth should be one of the Tourism Department’s priorities, and the government should work on improving the rural sector’s overall infrastructure. The Tourism Department should encourage local vloggers, bloggers, and authors to write more about the region’s unknown places.
