Terror attack on a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) last week will draw tourists from Gujarat away from Kashmir this year, say the local tour operators. This is the time when people start planning for summer vacation, and a terror attack at this juncture will affect the turnout of tourist. Uncertainty regarding the nature of response of armed forces to the terror attack and general elections in summer have cast doubts in the minds of people planning a Kashmir trip.
Tourist outflow begins in April after the final exams in schools and colleges, and are generally planned through the month of February-March. “Pulwama attack has created uncertainty among tourists. Even tour operators are apprehensive. Rather than leaving anything on chance, both tourists and operators have started looking for alternative destinations,” said Pankaj Gupta, president of Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat (TAAG).
Following the attack, there were posts on messaging sites that tour operators are boycotting Kashmir as a mark of protests, however, Gupta denied any such developments in Gujarat. “There may be some individual operators who may not send tourists to Kashmir this year, but there is no joint decision by tour operators or travel agents in general,” informed Gupta.
Anuj Pathak, secretary of TAAG said that the tour operator community in Gujarat is divided over a boycott. “A section of the community supports boycott in order to pressurise Kashmiri society to come out in open in support of the armed forces, while the another section believes that a mass boycott will result in loss of employment.
Another travel agent said that Pulwama attack is a severe setback to tourism in Kashmir and no tourist would risk going to the state this Summer. “Even travel agents will not prefer to send tourists there,” he said.
This would be the fourth year in succession when tourists flow into Kashmir would be affected. Law and order problem following killing of Hizbul Mujahidin commander Burhan Wani disrupted tourism in 2016. The business was affected in 2017 following demonetisation and roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the year 2018 was affected because of the floods in monsoon.
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