SRINAGAR (PTI): After a gap of nearly four years domestic tourists have returned to the Kashmir valley.
Fear of the gun had kept the tourists away but last week the first group of 30 holiday-makers from Bombay arrived here They headed for Gulmarg 45 km from here in north of Kashmir.
“They have a busy schedule and will visit Pahalgam and several tourist spots during their week-long stay here” Raja Patil tour manager of Bombay-based Raja-Rani travels said
The state tourism department said 7.22 lakh tourists had arrived in Kashmir in 1988 10722 in 1990 and only 6287 in 1991.
However a 40% increase was recorded in the tourist arrivals last year when more than 10000 foreigners visited the valley as against only 38 home visitors the department said.
Patil who is the president of Maharashtra tour organizations association took the lead in reviving domestic tourism in the valley; He said that he plans to bring nine more groups of tourists to the valley this season.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 6, 1994
