KL Report
SRINAGAR
The Minister for Tourism Friday said that tourists are reluctant to visit Kashmir as there is a particular fear in their mind that epidemic will engulf the Valley after the devastating floods. He admitted that the inflow of tourists has drastically come down in Jammu and Kashmir in the last few weeks owing to the devastation caused by floods.
“Due to low temperatures, the outbreak of epidemic is out of question. The Ministry has asked the Health Department to issue health advisory after proper observation, so that tourists start visiting Kashmir Valley,” Ghulam Ahmed Mir told CNS adding that tourist spots like Gulmarag, Sonamarag and Pahalgam will be thrown open for tourists only after Eid-ul-Azha.
The Minister said that they will soon launch a campaign, “that will help us to attract more and more tourists towards Kashmir Valley.”
The Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir said that though floods has badly affected the tourism industry but they are hopeful of making some recovery in the nick of the time. “We are still hopeful of a good season and surely the tourists will return to Kashmir,” he said.
He informed that the Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to seek from the Centre a slew of concessions, including income tax exemptions and interest-free loans for tourism sector that has suffered heavy losses due to the floods.
