Srinagar, July 17: Despite visible tourist rush, the Valley hoteliers say the occupancy rate in hotels has come down to 50 per cent citing end of summer vacations in Indian states.
 “Since June 25, the hotel occupancy has plunged by 50 per cent as the summer vacations are over in outside states,” said Siraj Ahmad, president Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA).
 “During April, May and for most part of June hotels were packed to full in Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. The tourist inflow during these months was at peak. But now it has come down so much so that on weekends it is mostly the locals who occupy the hotels,” Siraj said.
 Experts said the ebb in the tourist flow for about three months from June end is not unusual. “This happens every year because the summer vacations come to end by this time in Indian states,” they said, adding that, however, earlier Kashmir would get a good foreign tourist flow June onwards.
 Siraj said in the wake of unrest in the Valley foreign tourists have “stopped to come to this place” citing adverse travel advisories on Kashmir by some European countries.
 “We have been pleading with governments of India and J&K to take up the issue with European countries to soften their advisories,” he said.
 Siraj said the lifting of the advisories would fill the gap being created by decline in the domestic tourist arrivals to Kashmir for three months June onwards. “It is high time that state made efforts to attract foreign tourists and pleaded for removal of travel advisories,” he said.
 Former Chairman Houseboat Owners Association Azim Tuman said the dip in arrivals had been putting the stakeholders to loss. “July and August were the peak season of foreigners. They rushed to Valley and Ladakh during these two months and filled the gap of domestic tourists,” he said, adding that the travel advisories were hindering their arrival.
 Habibullah of Mazda Group of Hotels said right now there is lean period “but we are expecting good tourist arrivals in the coming autumn season.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST