fredag 8. april 2022

'More beautiful than Europe': Indians flock to Kashmir's lakes, boats

Indian-administered Kashmir is attracting record tourists after the easing of pandemic restrictions and some improvement in the security situation, bolstering local businesses. Tourist arrivals are set to touch a 10-year high this year after more than 340,000 tourists have come since January, local tour operators and government officials said, despite restrictions on foreign tourists and some recent incidents of violence. Tourism plunged in Kashmir after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration stripped the region of its special status and autonomy in 2019, and later as the Covid-19 pandemic cut domestic and foreign tourist inflows.

"We are seeing the highest-ever tourist arrivals in Kashmir this year with 0.18 million tourists arriving in March only," Sarmad Hafeez, Tourism Secretary for Jammu and Kashmir told Reuters, adding April arrivals could surpass March.