Kashmir's no-go zones see spurt in tourist attraction

Srinagar, Aug 4 The signing of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in February 2020 has once again led to increase in tourist interest in the scenically beautified and serene Kashmiri locations situated in the bordering villages which were prone earlier to arbitrary shelling.

A group of 40 people, including women and children, became the first outsiders to visit the border village of Machil in Kupwara district in north Kashmir from July 16-17.

Machil was earlier known to be shelling prone and therefore, despite its beautiful and eye dropping meadows and ethereal pastures, tourists dithered.

Farah Zaidi Ali, co-founder of the Kashmir off Road (KoR), organised the trip to Machil as per a report by a leading media outlet.

This is a very positive and welcome development. For locals, tourists visiting the Kashmiri offbeat locations closer to the India-Pakistan border is like a dream come true.

People want peace and resuming their business and economic activities without any fear and insecurity. Such areas, notwithstanding lots of tourism potential, did not attract tourists due to frequent and arbitrary shelling.

These areas, which were earlier out-of-bounds for tourists and home to only armed infiltrators or soldiers, are now expecting restoration of usual tourism activities which would spur business opportunities for the locals.

The India-Pakistan border villages have immense potential for eco-tourism. As peace returns, sustainable tourism can not only open the natural beauty of Kashmir to the tourists but also better livelihood opportunities for the locals.

The people in such areas are now just getting mentally prepared how to make the best of this new found opportunity. For instance, people in Teetwal, another such location, believe that the Sharda temple made by Kashmiri pandits and gurdwara in the region could attract tourists given assurance of safe travel and security during the sojourn.

Buoyed by increasing footfalls of tourists in Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir government has identified 35 new destinations in the valley, including Gurez and Tulali villages in Bandipora besides Teetwal and Keran.

The Jammu and Kashmir tourism department also aims at adding 50,000 new rooms in Kashmir through the home-stay initiative at 75 new locations across the Union Territory.

According to Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary, J&K Tourism, the J&K Tourism Department has eased the registration process of homestays.

This has been done in view of shortage of homestays with anticipated rise in tourist footfalls as peace is being restored in the UT due to pro-active efforts of the government.

As part of building additional accommodation capacity for tourists, the J&K government is promoting both, homestays and tented accommodation, in the valley.

As revealed by officials, the J&K government would make tented colonies functional at 30 new locations. Besides, 75 offbeat destinations are being developed with proper infrastructure and requisite facilities.

The top offbeat tourist locations include Chatpal, Bangus, Reshwari, Daksum, Karnah, Warwan Valley, Watlab, Gurez and Lolab valley.

Kashmir, the "paradise on earth", as the Ind like to call it, is a home of lovely glades and forests.

Its offbeat locations in particular have sights of vast mists rising from rivers curling in thin spirals around the opposite mountains; lovely glades and forests; trees of chinar, pineapple, cedar and somber; and soft air ruffling the water causing pleasant motion among the trees. In the offbeat locations, the visuals of tiny hamlets are enchanting.

Jammu and Kashmir is looking forward to resuscitate its tourism industry as peace and normalcy is being restored in the state. The present government is living no stone unturned.

In December 2020, government announced a package of Rs 1,350 crore ($182.83 million) to boost tourism and other sectors.

There are many things in pipeline to boost tourism in the state and the people of Kashmir are now filled with hope.