Srinagar, Apr 15: With tourist arrivals picking up, the hotels here are marking a 60 to 70 per cent occupancy rate – a remarkable improvement over the corresponding period of the last year.
 Talking to Greater Kashmir the hoteliers expressed their satisfaction with the current flow of the tourists saying if the situation remained conducive the Valley could witness record tourist arrivals this year.
  “Since the last week we are witnessing the occupancy rate of 60 to 70 per cent. Before that we were having only 30 to 35 per cent of occupancy. This clearly indicates that the tourists are highly inclined to come over here,” said Feroz Sheikh Managing Director Hotel Paradise Boulevard Srinagar.
 “Given the present rush and huge number of enquiries we are receiving we expect a tourist flow of tourists in May,” he said.
 However, he said many tourists had concerns about the situation here, “but we are trying to convince them and to make them feel safe to come over here,” he added.
  “We are getting new bookings for the current season every day. But all will depend on the situation, if it remains calm we will do exceptional business but if something untoward happens everything will change,” the hoteliers said.
 Ifshan Khanday Managing Director Hotel Alpine Ridge Gulmarg said the tourist rush is picking up and it is far better than the previous year.
 “This time we are witnessing the occupancy of 70 to 80 per cent and it is going to improve further by the end of April,” he said adding that they were expecting it to be very good in May and June.
 “In the coming months I believe that the occupancy will reach to 90 to 100 per cent in all the hotels across the Valley,” he said.
  “We are completely booked for the month of May and June and good queries are coming to us for the later part of July as well,” said Ifshan Khanday.
 The hoteliers said this winter also saw a good tourist rush. “We had a very good winter season in Gulmarg this year and the way things are going at present we are expecting a very good summer season too,” he added.
 The hoteliers however maintained that the strikes or unsuitable circumstances can make a negative impact on the tourism flow.
 “This year we are definitely receiving better bookings but the strikes that are happening here are making people reluctant to come over here. We have cancelled some bookings because of the strikes as they were sceptic about the situation,” said Dawood Ahmad Abbasi Manager Upharwat hotel Gulmarg.
 He however maintained that he is highly satisfied with the current tourist flow. “We are witnessing huge rush of tourists staying in Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar etc. Presently there are many hotels who are witnessing full occupancy,” he said.
  “We hope that if the situation will continue to be normal we will witness the record break tourist flow this year, he added.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST