In this world of fast travel and super-fast communication,it’s only hard luck that can keep a place like Kashmir away from touristattention. We all remember that how some decades back Kashmir was full oftourists.
The sectors, directly or indirectly, associated withtourism, were bustling as people from within India and outside the countrywould choose Kashmir as one of the favourite destinations. That was the timewhen the means of communication were very poor, and means of transportationthat existed then are no match to what exists now.
Given the leaps humankind made in communication andtransportation it was certain that Kashmir would be bursting with touristinflow, and the activities related to this sector would have grown manifold.But unfortunately one particular turn of events changed it all. But in therecent past tourism had once again started picking up.
Many factors contributed to it, and we saw a good footfallof tourists, particularly from within India. Unfortunately, again certaindevelopments impacted adversely and this sector of economic activity was facedwith great difficulties. For this there are many reasons, and each needsdeliberation among the key players in the sector.
There are certain things that need, in these deliberations,to be kept in mind. One, the situation in Kashmir can take any turn, any time.Past decades are ample to drive the point home. Two, media management isbecoming crucial in this all.
The perception about a place plays an important role inmaking people decide whether to choose it as a travel destination or not. It isdismaying that Kashmir has got a bad media coverage for some time now.
This is one of the biggest challenges faced by thegovernment and the private players in tourism. In this regard an aggressive advocacy,and a professional media outreach is required. Third, tourism in Kashmir needsdiversification.
Today’s tourism is not just about site seeing. Sports,adventure, heritage, religious history, and many other forms of tourism havedeveloped over time. This needs a painstaking attention in case of Kashmir.Lastly, there is much to be done to put in place a proper tourisminfrastructure in Kashmir.