After three years, Kashmir is witnessing a heavy rush of tourists and it is a matter of great satisfaction for all the stakeholders in tourism industry. Tourism is a huge industry and it brings a lot of dividends directly and indirectly. While visit by tourists to Kashmir is a welcome sign but to attract a high-class tourist to Kashmir we need to have high class infrastructure. What little infrastructure we have does not qualify to be world class. At Pahalgam, Gulmarg the infrastructure is not up to the mark. What the Tourism Department has been able to develop is either occupied by the bureaucrats or their kith and kin. The private sector hoteliers also have not been able to keep up with the changing times. The roads leading to these important tourist destinations need to be widened and properly laned. While at some places the four-laning of roads has begun, the pace of work is too slow.
Also the garbage disposal methods at these tourist destinations have to be most modern and we cannot afford to have garbage littered around these places. In the heart of Srinagar also places like Mughal gardens and Kohi-Sulieman need to be clean. But sadly these places are littered with garbage. The problem is that one department passes the buck on the other. As people we don't want to play our part but just wait for the Government to do everything for us. The dying carpet industry in Kashmir has a lot do with absence of high class tourism and the carpet show rooms that once were bustling with customers are empty.

Sheikh Imtiaz
coolkashmir@hotmail.com

Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST