Heat wave turning out to be a boon for Kashmir tourism

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir – The heat wave conditions in the country is turning out to be a boon for Jammu and Kashmir tourism sector, as inflow of tourists to the picturesque Valley has witnessed 12

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir – The heat wave conditions in the country is turning out to be a boon for Jammu and Kashmir tourism sector, as inflow of tourists to the picturesque Valley has witnessed 12 percent increase than the corresponding period last year.

The Boulevard Road on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar is abuzz with tourists.

โ€œI have come from Delhi, where it is very hot. I came here to have some relief from the scorching heat. The weather is pleasant here and it is more pleasant in tourist resorts of Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Gulmarg in north Kashmir,โ€ a tourist Arvind Kumar said.

โ€œSee all across the country heat wave is making life difficult, but here weather is pleasant. Besides, people here are very hospitable,โ€ said another tourist Gurmeet Singh from Punjab.

Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF) president G M Dug said the tourist inflow this year has been better than the previous year.

โ€œAt present most of the tourists are from Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. The heat wave conditions in the country is proving beneficial for us as tourists are coming to Kashmir to escape harsh weather,โ€ he said. The temperature in Srinagar is hovering around 25 to 27 degree Celsius.

Dug said hotel occupancy in Srinagar at present is about 60-75 percent. โ€œAlthough it is not 100 percent, but still it is not discouragingโ€.

โ€œThe tourist season in Kashmir starts by September-October owing to Puja holidays,โ€ he said.

According to Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) MD Shamim Ahmad Wani, the โ€œtourism packagesโ€ offered by them have evoked tremendous response.

โ€œThere has been overwhelming response to our tourism packages. Besides, all leading travel agencies have done advance bookings for Kashmir,โ€ he said.

Director, Tourism Kashmir, Talat Parvez said the inflow this year has been encouraging.

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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