Tourism Revival Faces Challenges, Hopes on Winter Season: CM Omar Srinagar, Oct 14: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir is working to revive tourism, but it has not been easy. He said the government now hopes to attract visitors during the winter snowfall.
Speaking at a Srinagar hotel, CM Omar said the economy slowed down after mid-April, which affects government spending. He added that manufacturing, tourism, handicrafts, handlooms, agriculture, and horticulture have all suffered, especially due to recent heavy rains and floods in both Jammu and Kashmir.
He noted changes in GST rates will reduce the state’s earnings by around 900 to 1000 crores this year. “For a state with a financial deficit, that is a lot of money. But this is not a story of pessimism. It is a story of hope and optimism. We are looking forward, not backward,” he said.
CM Omar said he and tourism industry colleagues are working hard to revive the sector. “It hasn’t been an easy journey. We had hoped for a quicker revival. Summer was a lost season, and autumn was not as strong as we expected, especially for visitors from Punjab,” he said.
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He also mentioned the difficulties of the year, including the Pahalgam terror attack, the India-Pakistan conflict, and heavy rains in July, August, and September. “The condition in Jammu and Kashmir is very bad. One of our teams is promoting tourism in Singapore, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. We also usually see many visitors from West Bengal, but not this year,” he said.
CM Omar added that the next hope is a strong winter season. “We hear this winter may be more extreme with more snowfall than before. If that happens, we hope to rebuild tourism around snow in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
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