Where is the plan?
Since the greater part of the tourism season in Kashmir valley is almost over and the Covid-19 pandemic has ensured that no tourist visits the place this season, the sector has already crossed all the limits of stress and unending loses.
Tourism sector which provides jobs to lakhs of Kashmir’s youth for the entire season has been witnessing severe loses since July 2019. The bad phase for the Industry started last year during the same period when even the government issued advisories asking tourists and Amarnath pilgrims to leave Kashmir Valley.
Since then the Industry has witnessed a virtual closure with people associated with this trade facing huge loses and an uncertain future. The situation has turned much critical with the advent of Covid-19 as no tourist arrivals will be witnessed this year. The pandemic situation has brought with it a soaring level of uncertainty and fears among the tourism players.
Most of the tourism players believe that the situation that is reflected worldwide, it seems unlikely that tourism Industry will see a revival in near future. The possibilities of opening of hotels, restaurants and other tourist places seems a distant dream. The situation that is emerging presently indicates that the Industry will have to bear with loses and strain for some more time.
Ironically, the sufferings that the Industry particularly in Jammu and Kashmir is going through is not being observed by those who could have intervened. The government it seems is looking the other way round. The Industry that is considered as the backbone of our economy has not been offered any plan that will help the tourism players in Jammu and Kashmir to sail through the worst crisis they have witnessed over the years.
The tourism Industry in not only vital and critical for ensuring growth and sustenance of other sectors of the economy but its sustenance is key to the very survival of the region as a whole. We only have tourism to sell to the outside world and if the industry gets trapped in the morass of debt and loses then its revival will prove to be a herculean task.
The present government should immediately devise a plan which includes forming a task force to not only seek the revival of the industry but also help it sustain the grey patch that it is going through right now.
Tourism and its allied sectors need help from all quarters and the government too cannot escape from this responsibility. The sooner it accepts it and takes some measures the better it will be.
KV Network
