Tourist Footfall Breaks 25-year record in Kashmir Valley

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India seems to have rediscovered its love for Kashmir, with an unprecedented 10.73 lakh tourists visiting the Valley till September 30. This is believed to be the highest number of tourist arrivals in the past 25 years: strong evidence of what's possible if normality is given a chance.

Kashmir has surpassed last year's tourist count of 7.38 lakh, and the State Tourism Department's tally shows that both Indians and foreigners have given the Valley a thumbs up. From a few thousand foreigners visiting Kashmir, the figure has jumped to 22,000.

Ladakh and Amarnath have benefited as well. At 1.48 lakh tourists, Ladakh's footfall doubled this year. The number of Amarnathyatris is at a high of 6.35 lakh — a jump of 2 lakh from last year.

It's time to withdraw all travel advisories, says J&K Govt.

With peace prevailing in Kashmir, tourism gets a boost in the Valley. Director of Tourism in Kashmir,Farooq A Shah said, "This is the highest number of tourist arrivals recorded in the last 25 years. It has been a very good season for us. But Kashmir's potential is unparalleled and we hope to do more work."

A peaceful season has meant a booming economy for locals after stone-pelting unrest in the Valley and the tragic cloudburst in Leh last year. The State Government is advocating against travel advisories issued by some countries, pointing to the vote of confidence tourists have delivered.

The Union Tourism Ministry had, in recent years, launched an advertisement campaign, with J&K as a special focus. State officials and political representatives have also made their presence felt in the international market through trade fairs and other initiatives.