Despite tourism boom, only a few tourists visit
marketplace, want Govt to bring bazaar on tourism
map: Traders
Owais Gul
Srinagar, Nov 29 (KNO): Nearly a century old
market—Government central market Kashmir Haat, is
losing its sheen with each passing day as the business at
the once famed, marketplace has got badly affected with
the businessman stating that bringing the bazaar on
tourism map would help them to revive their business.
Almost every shopkeeper at the market is claiming that
despite the tourism boom in the Valley, the tourists don't
visit them as the market is off-route and has been ignored
so far.
Khurshid Ahmad, one of the traders, told the news
agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the market
was started in 1937 when Maharaja Rulers forced the
artisans to come up with the market to promote the local
product.
“The tourists, parliamentarians and others would visit the
market every day. But now, it's unfortunate that the
tourists hardly visit the market where everything is
available including Shawls, dry fruit, paper mache,
woodcarving and other local produce,” he said.
Ahmad further said that the tourists, who throng the other
places have to move from one place to another to get the
local produce, but the market despite having everything
has been ignored.
“The tourism department should look into the matter so
that the tourists would be able to get knowledgeable
where the tourism market is,” he said, adding that ignoring
the market has forced many to switch to other jobs.
President of the market, Nisar Ahmad Kitaba told KNO
that the market is completely lying defunct at present.
“This market is solely dependent on the tourists. There are
127 shops in the market and it is famous among people all
across the globe. However, the official apathy has
deteriorated the situation of the businessman as well as
the market,” he said.
He added that the department concerned is now extending
its support as the exhibitions are being organized here.
“But, the situation has worsened to a large extent. We
have appealed to the government to allow us to make
local items available here till the situation improves and
the tourists start visiting the place again,” he said.
“Although the tourism is witnessing a boom in Kashmir,
the market has become an odd-site for the tourists as
mostly they visit Dalgate, Boulevard, Lal Chowk and other
areas only. Now, we have appealed the administration to
bring the market on tourism map, which would ensure the
tourists visit the marketplace so that the business can be
revived once again,” he said—(KNO)
