After August 5, 2019 clampdown, COVID-19 deals another blow to Kashmir's ailing tourism industry

The deadly coronavirus has dealt another blow to the ailing tourism industry of Kashmir, which had pinned all hopes on spring arrivals after witnessing a decade-low turnout of tourists following months’ long clampdown last August after the abrogation of Article 370.

Kashmir was all set to showcase the beauty of Asia’s largest Tulip garden overlooking famous Dal Lake in Srinagar where 1.3 million tulips were on a display for guests from March 25 onwards. The closure of the garden has not caused a dent to the already ailing tourism sector and resulted in the losses of hundreds of crores to its allied sectors.

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"We had pinned all our hopes on tourist arrivals this year and we were optimistic with significant bookings but, the corona outbreak has dashed all out hopes,” said Athar Qadri, a tour operator.

He said the booking queries were already lower this year for the spring season. “The time for bookings for spring is already over and now there is no hope for future as well,” he said and added people associated with the industry are in a deep crisis.

The tourism season starts to peak in the Valley from April when almond and tulip blooms as the government opens recreational parks like Tulip Garden and ‘Badamvaer’ and Mughal Gardens like Nishat and Shalimar for general public and tourists.

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The Tulip Garden, which is thrown open for tourists and the general public in the last week of March every year will not be opened this year, the first time since it was inaugurated in 2008. The garden alone receives a footfall of over two lakh visitors every year to witness the bloom of lakhs of tulips at the foothills of Zabarwan peaks in Srinagar.

This year, the department had introduced one lakh additional Tulips to its 12 lakh bulbs in the garden. A water channel in the backyards of the garden to attract visitors and to prolong their stay in the garden was also a major attraction. Last year 2.58 lakh visitors including foreign and domestic tourists visited the garden.

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There was also a proposal to introduce a Cherry garden theme on the lines of one in Japan to increase the visitor’s attraction in the garden.

Tourism-affiliated businessmen in the region are already grappling with major economic losses due to the post-August clampdown. According to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), the tourism industry alone suffered a loss of hundreds of crores with more than 74,000 people losing their jobs and livelihood post-August last year.