DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Kashmir, synonymous with stunning beauty, can be the apple of the eye for Gulf travellers seeking fresh getaways, as stability returns to the troubled Valley, a tourism official said.
Talat Parvez, tourism director of Jammu and Kashmir, told Gulf News the Valleyโs beauty, cultural similarities and proximity to the Gulf countries make it a natural choice.
But political disturbances had kept tourists away for years. A rebellion by separatists fighting Indian rule in Kashmir began over two decades ago. Now, a relative calm is once again drawing tourists, Parvez said.
Most of the roughly one million tourists who visited Kashmir in 2013 were from India, according to Parvez, with Gulf travellers numbering only in โthe hundreds.โ
โWe donโt have exact figures. [Tourists] from the UAE and Saudi Arabia are hardly a hundred in number.โ
More than 55,000 Gulf tourists visited India last year, but virtually all travel was to destinations outside Kashmir, Parvez said.
But his department is now engaged in promoting Kashmir as the new favourite for Arab families. Parvez was recently in Dubai to meet tour operators and investors interested in Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department takes part in the annual Arab Travel Market in Dubai as well.
โWe understand that Gulf [tourists] travel as a family, and Kashmir happens to be a family destination for leisure, but it has a great element of adventure too,โ Parvez said.
โThere is the fascination with mountains and snow, changing seasons โ all these points would sell in this market. Arabs have been found to look for new destinations. Once a few families start travelling, other families tend to follow.โ
Similar to Arab culture
He added: โAnd because we are a Muslim state, like the Arabs there is a parda [veil] culture. There are family dining arrangements, halal [Islamic] meals. We have a lot in common with Arabs.โ
Parvez said the tourism department plans to soon introduce an Arabic tourist hotline and text message service available round the clock.
โThis market is more precious to us in Kashmir than other places; itโs only a four-hour flight from Dubai to Kashmir.โ
Re-starting direct or โhoppingโ flights (without the need to change planes at a stopover) from the UAE to Kashmirโs summer capital, Srinagar, will be a โbreakthroughโ in boosting visitors, Parvez added.
โ[Gulf tourists] have been going to places such as Turkey and Malaysia but enough of that has happened. Kashmir is now a new destination to be reckoned with.โ
When asked about security concerns, Parvez stressed โthere are no issues now.โ
โThe overall situation has been very stable. Weโve received so many tourists from so many countries. Nobody stops tourists because tourist spots are not disturbed spots โฆ [Political problems] in border areas cannot be taken as something happening in the capital or tourist spots โ they remain as secure as any other tourist place in India.โ
Fact Box
Talat Parvez, the tourism director of Jammu and Kashmir state, explained what needs to happen on the ground for tourists to start flocking to the picturesque valley in droves.
Direct flight
A direct flight from Dubai to Kashmirโs summer capital was operated by Air India and โthey had put a price that was very cheap and the commercial aspect didnโt allow that flight to continue for long,โ Parvez said.
โWe have understood that unless we have a flight that is direct or hopping from Delhi or from Mumbai to Srinagar, or connecting โ not changing the plane โ that will work for us. That will for work for the Kashmir destination. That will actually be the breakthrough, in case we want to attract the Gulf market in a large way.โ
Family environment
Parvez said: โA second aspect would be to improve services back home โ hotels, transport, basic services. [Gulf tourists] usually require a family environment, the parda [veil] system, more family dining areas to be defined. The hospitality sector has to customise their stay as per the requirements of Gulf families.โ
Parvez said Kashmir needs more investors. โWe are lacking in infrastructure and have less accommodation supply than demand.
โKashmirโs tourist spots are naturally-occurring places but when tourists go to these places they still need basic services. And the adventure facilities have to be provided in a package deal, of high quality.โ
Dh10,000: Estimated cost for family-of-four on โluxuryโ tour of Kashmir for a week (without air fare)
55,000 Gulf tourists visited India in 2013.
1,585 metres: Elevation of Kashmirโs summer capital, Srinagar โ almost twice the height of Burj Khalifa, the worldโs tallest tower in Dubai.