Tourism in J&K has been languishing in the face of terrorism. It is time the state turn the leaf and open new vistas in tourism
Ajay Bhardwaj
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi , during his visit to J&K early this month, gave a call to the youth to abjure terrorism and pick up tourism to chart a new and positive course of life for the state, it was a grim reminder of how tourism as an industry has been languishing in the J&K, making it lose on revenue and job opportunities in a big way.
Tourism, which used to contribute up to 20 per cent to the State Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) in early eighties, has skidded to about 15 per cent over the years even though 50-60 per cent of the total population is directly or indirectly engaged in the tourism or tourism-related activities in the state.
The growth of terrorism has obviously been a bane to the state which has not allowed it to exploit the tourism potential to the hilt in spite of the fact that J&K is popularly known as a “Paradise on Earth” because of its unmatchable scenic beauty and attractive landscapes. Undoubtedly, it is among the most important tourist destinations of the world which is sometimes also called “Switzerland of the Himalayas”.
A stark example of how terrorism played havoc with the tourism industry was noticed way back in 1995 when the inflow of tourists plummeted steeply from about five crores in 1985 to eight lakhs in 1995. In the wake of widespread violence tourism got a brutal beating and thus hitting the economy. Though the number has since been looking up but it remains far from the potential that the state enjoys.
A state which could have been easily among the top tourist attractions in the country, stands 15th on the national scale making it a pathetic case study.
That the state has been apathetic to developing tourism comprehensively is demonstrated by the fact that it has not yet drafted any tourism policy to guide the perspective stakeholders.
The Prime Minister’s call could not have been more timely to exhort the state’s youth to explore new vistas in the field of tourism.
The Centre has already envisaged a plan to develop 50 tourist villages in the state and has allocated a sum of Rs 2,241 cr for the development of tourism infrastructure in the state.
Senior officials here feel that J&K possesses lot of tourist attractions in the form of Pilgrimage, Leisure, Heritage and Eco-tourism with enormous scope to transform the whole economy to a tourist- driven economy. J&K has yet to explore different dimensions of tourism like health tourism and spiritual tourism that have been becoming a fad among foreign tourists.
Leaving the tourism in its traditional form confined to popular tourist spots has hardly served the state much. It is time tourism makes deep roads to the backyards of popular spots, to the villages where scenic beauty and ecology would always be a treat for outsiders. Moreover, for sure tourism acts as a catalyst in the development of economy in the backward and far- flung areas which are located in remote regions of the state like Lolab and Bangus valley in Kupwara, Suru valley in Kargil, Daksum valley in Anantnag, Gurez valley in Baramulla. All these places are known for their scenic beauty and charming climate and for greater tourist potential than those offered by popular destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Mughal gardens, say officials.
Tourists visiting such unexplored attractive spots can give fillip to the economic condition of the residents by promoting local art like handicrafts and handloom.
Being a labour intensive industry, the scope of tourism industry in employment generation is vast due to the multiplier effect even as the level of investment required is never daunting for the locals.
The state primarily comprises three regions, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. While Jammu, also known as “City Of Temples”, is an important destination for pilgrimage tourism with famous pilgrim spots like the Vaishno Devi Temple, Raghunath Temple and Bahu Fort which attract tourists from across the country, Kashmir, known for its enormous natural beauty and landscape, pleasant weather and rich heritage has been one of the most preferred tourist destinations. Travellers from every nook and corner of the world have been visiting Kashmir which affords ample opportunities to adventure tourism and medical or eco tourism with popular sites like Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Dallake, Wularlake, Amaranth cave and Mughal gardens.
Ladakh, also known as, “Moon on Earth” with its naked peaks and barren lands is a famous destination for adventure tourism, known across the world.
Officials feel that the growth of tourism industry would positively improve the economic parameters like employment, income and infrastructure and go a long way in improving the plight of the youth. A senior official in the J&K Tourism department said a new tourism policy was in the offing and it would lay down a road map for promoting tourism till 2030. “We will release the policy which is in the final stages, within the next six months. The policy will lay down the roadmap for tourism till 2030,” he said.
The State government proposed to invest Rs 2,400 crore over the next four years for developing tourism and expected the private sector investment to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore over the next 10 years, he added.
He said many global hospitality chains are planning to open properties in the State. “Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and UAE are our key markets, where we are focusing on non-resident Indians,” he said.
“To start with, the government would hold a 3-day tourism promotion event ‘Great Himalaya Bazar’ in Srinagar from May 16 where we will proactively promote our tourism destinations to attract travellers who prefer to go to Europe and other places”, he said. The bazar will become an annual event thereafter.
“There is not much scope for heavy industries to develop in our state but tourism has a great potential. We have a cold desert for tourism, pilgrimage as well as leisure and this combination is not available anywhere in India except Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
