The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to reopen tourism in the Union Territory that went through several rounds lockdown first with the scrapping of Article 370 and then the coronavirus pandemic.
J&K authorities on Monday decided to reopen the tourism sector. The tourism sector has been financially hit for almost a year now since the shutdowns began last year in August.
“J&K will reopen for tourism soon. The government will be issuing detailed guidelines and SoP shortly. LG issued directions in a high-level meeting in Srinagar today,” Rohit Kansal, J&K's spokesperson tweeted late on Monday night.
So how are the tourism stakeholders in Kashmir reacting to this development? “It is a good development but only if people come to Kashmir for tourism. There definitely is the threat of coronavirus but when other sectors are opening up why we should suffer. We will have to however ensure all the safety precautions are followed,” said Hussain Khan, a hotelier in the famous Pahalgam region.
Government officials have said that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu. Sources said the LG has issued directions to reopen the tourism sector considering the fact that it is the backbone of the UT's economy.
Another tourism player said this was a logical step however with restrictions on high speed internet, tourism can't achieve its potential in Kashmir. “I think tourism is dependent on 4G internet, which is still banned in J&K and the government has created a war-like situation here since August 2019,” said Danish, a local resident.
