Did MoS Tourism exaggerate figures?
By Aliya Bashir
Srinagar: The government has come under severe criticism for allegedly exaggerating the figures related to the arrival of foreign tourists during the current year as tour operators have categorically rejected the government claim that 60,000 foreign tourists visited Kashmir in the ensuing year.
The tour operators believe that travel advisories of foreign countries continue to have a negative impact on the foreign tourist arrival in Kashmir and that 60,000 figure was a highly exaggerated one.
In the recently concluded Assembly session, Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani said following the serious efforts of the government followed by road shows in many western countries, at least 60,000 foreign tourists visited Kashmir alone in the ongoing year. Wani was replying to a query raised by a PDP legislator whether foreign trips carried out by the officials of tourism department, especially ministers have borne some fruit or it was just waste of government money.
In reply, Wani stated that despite travel advisories, a good number of foreign tourists visited Kashmir and that the government hopes to see peace prevail in Kashmir so that foreign countries could lift travel advisories. So far, Germany is the only country that has softened its travel advisories on the people for visiting Kashmir.
However, the government announcement has triggered a simmering discontent within the tourism industry, especially among the tour operators and tourism players, who are directly involved in tourism. Chairman Houseboat Owners Association (HBOA) Muhammad Azim Tuman said the figures announced by the government seem to be highly exaggerated as travel advisories continue to play a negative role in promoting foreign tourism. So far as our own estimates are concerned, not more than 25000 to 30,000 foreign tourists visited this season, which is a routine, he said adding ," I dont know on what basis government says 60,000 have visited. There has to be a check on the arrival.
According to sources at the Srinagar international airport, only 25943 foreign tourists have visited Kashmir in the ongoing year. Every foreign tourist has to go through the entry information form at the airport and thus the detailed month-wise data suggests that 2878 foreign tourists have visited the valley during January, 3005 in February, 3285 in march, 3922 in April, 1911 in May, 1984 in June, 2757 in July, 2805 in August and 3396 till September 30.
Chairman Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Rouf Tramboo seconded Tuman stating that the number was highly blown up. Most of the tourists who visit the valley come from South-Asian countries that dont have travel advisories in their countries and we count them as foreign tourists and the tourists from countries which have issued the travel advisories are very less number not more than 2000-3000 who come on their own risk as individuals. But about the 60,000 foreign tourists besides travel advisories that is not true at all, Tramboo said.
A leading tour operator, wishing not to be named, said it remains to be seen what were the intentions of the government behind giving up high numbers of foreign tourist arrival?. The step can obviously help ministers and other government functionaries related to tourism to make some more trips to foreign countries. This they can do in the name of promoting tourism, he said.
[Kashmir Monitor]
Link: KashmirWatch - Latest News & In-depth Coverage on Kashmir Conflict
By Aliya Bashir
Srinagar: The government has come under severe criticism for allegedly exaggerating the figures related to the arrival of foreign tourists during the current year as tour operators have categorically rejected the government claim that 60,000 foreign tourists visited Kashmir in the ensuing year.
The tour operators believe that travel advisories of foreign countries continue to have a negative impact on the foreign tourist arrival in Kashmir and that 60,000 figure was a highly exaggerated one.
In the recently concluded Assembly session, Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani said following the serious efforts of the government followed by road shows in many western countries, at least 60,000 foreign tourists visited Kashmir alone in the ongoing year. Wani was replying to a query raised by a PDP legislator whether foreign trips carried out by the officials of tourism department, especially ministers have borne some fruit or it was just waste of government money.
In reply, Wani stated that despite travel advisories, a good number of foreign tourists visited Kashmir and that the government hopes to see peace prevail in Kashmir so that foreign countries could lift travel advisories. So far, Germany is the only country that has softened its travel advisories on the people for visiting Kashmir.
However, the government announcement has triggered a simmering discontent within the tourism industry, especially among the tour operators and tourism players, who are directly involved in tourism. Chairman Houseboat Owners Association (HBOA) Muhammad Azim Tuman said the figures announced by the government seem to be highly exaggerated as travel advisories continue to play a negative role in promoting foreign tourism. So far as our own estimates are concerned, not more than 25000 to 30,000 foreign tourists visited this season, which is a routine, he said adding ," I dont know on what basis government says 60,000 have visited. There has to be a check on the arrival.
According to sources at the Srinagar international airport, only 25943 foreign tourists have visited Kashmir in the ongoing year. Every foreign tourist has to go through the entry information form at the airport and thus the detailed month-wise data suggests that 2878 foreign tourists have visited the valley during January, 3005 in February, 3285 in march, 3922 in April, 1911 in May, 1984 in June, 2757 in July, 2805 in August and 3396 till September 30.
Chairman Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Rouf Tramboo seconded Tuman stating that the number was highly blown up. Most of the tourists who visit the valley come from South-Asian countries that dont have travel advisories in their countries and we count them as foreign tourists and the tourists from countries which have issued the travel advisories are very less number not more than 2000-3000 who come on their own risk as individuals. But about the 60,000 foreign tourists besides travel advisories that is not true at all, Tramboo said.
A leading tour operator, wishing not to be named, said it remains to be seen what were the intentions of the government behind giving up high numbers of foreign tourist arrival?. The step can obviously help ministers and other government functionaries related to tourism to make some more trips to foreign countries. This they can do in the name of promoting tourism, he said.
[Kashmir Monitor]
Link: KashmirWatch - Latest News & In-depth Coverage on Kashmir Conflict
