Better roads will bring prosperity

The summer season has arrived and with its arrival all sort of activities including the tourism sector here has witnessed huge activity. Even the administration has also announced the start of tourist season as the famed Tulip garden has also been opened for public few days back.
This year again Kashmir Valley is all set to host a huge number of tourists as the lakhs of visitors will be making a beeline to Kashmir owing to rising temperatures in Apart from the world famous tulip garden preparations to open up all other destinations too have been completed and these destinations too are ready for welcoming the tourists to the ‘paradise on earth’.
However, one concern which is shared by every person either connected to the tourism or other trades, or even a common man is the bad infrastructure that is ruining the prospects of tourism or any other trade in the valley.
Though some improvements have been put in place but some major concerns still remain signalling poor infrastructure in many sectors. One important component of the bad infrastructure is the bad roads that have become quite synonymous with the Kashmir region. The bad experience which one gets of the roads in Kashmir starts right after entering Ramban located on the arterial Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
The condition of this patch of the road needs to be upgraded at an earliest as the visitor’s first-hand experience of travelling through the four lane Jammu-Srinagar highway gets spoiled.
Though the national highway has seen tremendous improvement and only a small patch of it remains in a bad shape, however various tourist destinations here in Kashmir have been giving a tough time to the tourists and the locals alike.
The roads leading to the tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley need to be put on priority list and a well-executed plan needs to be put in place so that these destinations are connected through well designed and maintained roads well ahead of the start of the tourist season.
The roads elsewhere, like various connecting roads in major cities and towns also need to be brought under focus and these roads too need to be developed so that tourists coming to destinations that fall within the jurisdiction of many towns and small villages do not complain about bad infrastructure here.
Interestingly, better roads can have a significant impact on the tourism sector, offering numerous benefits, like increased accessibility as better roads make it easier for tourists to reach their destinations, increasing accessibility and attracting more visitors.
The good road network will also help in reduced travel time and allow tourists to explore more places and enjoy their trip. It has also been observed that iImproved roads contribute to a more comfortable and enjoyable travel experience, increasing tourist satisfaction.
The boom in tourist arrivals in Kashmir has been quite beneficial for the entire industry with some other connecting sectors too witnessing sits positive impact. The greater the tourist arrivals, the greater will be the economic benefits as good roads can attract more tourists, leading to increased spending and economic growth in local communities.
Notably, regions with better roads can differentiate themselves from competitors, attracting more tourists and establishing a reputation as a desirable destination. Besides, better roads lead to reduced travel times and fuel consumption, decreasing the carbon footprint of tourism.