Kashmir, the heaven on earth, witnesses great tourist footfalls throughout the year and soon the beautiful destination is going to see a major increase in the number of visitors. Pandurang K Pole is the divisional commissioner of Kashmir and he shared his predictions on Saturday that the tourist numbers may go past 35 lakh next year as it will be easier to reach Kashmir from different parts of India once the Katra-Banihal train route is constructed.
Kashmir Witnessed 3X Visitors Post-Pandemic!
Pandurang K Pole shared on Saturday that Kashmir experienced a major spike in tourists over the last 1 year. The numbers have grown exponentially to 12 lakhs-15 lakhs yearly, a surge of three times. Post-pandemic everyone is travelling to different destinations both domestically and internationally. And Kashmir is seeing great tourist footfalls after people are exploring places after this long hiatus of 2 years.
Katra-Banihal Train Connectivity Will Be A Major Boost In Travel & Tourism Here!
Traveling on a flight to reach the Kashmir valley is quite an expensive journey, and many tourists take a backstep while traveling here because of the massive flight ticket fares. And now the upcoming newly-constructed Katra-Banihal rail route will connect the Kasmir valley with other states of India. People who love to travel by train or can afford train tickets can travel to this magnificent destination after the Katra-Banihal train route comes into action. In fact, the divisional commissioner of Kashmir predicted that the tourist numbers can increase to over 35 lakhs after the train connectivity happens.
Pandurang K Pole also shared that by 2023, the number will take a major jump by 7-10 times. Also, another factor to boost tourism is the construction of the highway. Some of the most famous tourist attractions in Jammu & Kashmir are Vaishno Devi Temple, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonmarg. And they have identified 75 offbeat destinations and tourist villages and started the work procedures there to bring more and more tourists.
Kashmir’s tourism industry, hospitality, and handicrafts are responsible for 35%-40% of Kashmir’s economy. Now more tourists will help grow the businesses and the economy.