Having experiencing two bad consecutive years due to pandemic, tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir is finally on track. Long queues of tourists at airport, hotels booked, families waiting hours for their turn for rides, occupied markets and overcrowded eateries are the scenes which J&K is witnessing these days. In January this year, the state’s tourism department launched a major promotion plan highlighting places other than the usual tourist spots like Gulmarg.
So is the scene at the Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake and many other places where houseboats are jam-packed with tourists.
On the verge of closure barely a year back, houseboat in Dal Lake and Nigeen lake are packed with tourists and houseboats owners are having a sigh of relief.
Talking to KNO, Vice Chairman of Houseboat Owners Association Kashmir, Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon said that almost 80 percent of the houseboats remained occupied with the guests, who visited from different parts of the country and outside as well. “Around 1600 rooms out of 2700 got booked by tourists at Dal and Nigeen Lake,” he said.
One of the houseboat owners said that the huge rush of tourists could be witnessed in J&K after the gap of many years.
Srinagar’s streets, gardens, houseboats, hotels, lodges and guest houses are not just full with tourists but most have advance bookings till August.