With the occupancy rate of hotels and houseboats in Kashmir coming down to 10 percent, the hospitality sector continues to bleed losses pushing the tourism players towards dire straits.
According to the hospitality sector insiders, the situationhas come to the point that some hoteliers are on verge of bankruptcy.
Reason according to leading tourism trade players, is the”sustained hate campaign” against Kashmir hospitality sector.
“I had invested overRs 20 crore on setting up a mid range hotel, two years back. But from lastyear, I have been neither able to pay my EMIs nor am I able to meet theoperating costs,” said a hotelier who wished not be named.
“Out of 30 rooms,only two or three are occupied, which means I have to pay idle wages besidesother expenses such as electricity bills and maintenance costs,” he said addingthat since Pulwama attack even travel agents in the country are refusing tosell Kashmir properties.
Jammu and Kashmir government recently stated that around 2lakh tourists have visited Kashmir, however tourism player state that thenumber signifies the decline of tourists arrivals in Kashmir.
“Be it an attack on security personnel or encounter at afar- off place, the outside media pans its lens on Kashmir in such a way as ifthe whole valley is burning. This is our tragedy and to be frank, we havefailed to beat this propaganda so far,” said chairman, Jammu and KashmirHoteliers Club, Mushtaq Chaya.
“Our occupancy acrossKashmir is not more than 10 percent, which technically means losses forhospitality sector,” he said adding that state and central governments musttake pro-active part in reviving the tourism sector which provides livelihoodto large chunk of people in the state.
Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Hotel and RestaurantAssociation, Showkat Chowdhary while opining about the decline of touristarrivals, blamed the state government for its failure to act on time.
“Our government is not doing enough to promote Kashmirtourism. The result of which is that hotel sector is turning into a losschurning sector,” Chowdhary said, adding, “no efforts are being initiated tobeat the propaganda machinery aimed at defaming Kashmir as a tourismdestination which is unfortunate on part on the government. “
Chairman SKAL International, Srinagar Chapter, Muhammad Ibrahim Siah said, “At this time ofthe year, our hotels and houseboats usedto be fully occupied. But see now, hotels are empty, tourist influxhas come down to a trickle which is a worrisome for whole Kashmir as thissector generates jobs.”
He said that tourism sector has become a soft target andgovernment is not doing any help to safeguard it.