Tourism during pandemic: ‘What better than Kashmir if you can’t go to Europe?’

1 lakh tourists visited the valley in July-August; high-end travellers also headed for Shillong

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic may have spelt at large, but not in Kashmir. The valley has emerged as the most sought after destination in 2021 for premium domestic tourists otherwise accustomed to jaunts abroad, resulting in a major bump in business for luxury hotels and golf courses. A similar trend is emerging in Meghalaya, the second northeastern State after Sikkim to open for tourists, where high-end hotels are doing better than low-end and budget properties. Tourist footfall in Kashmir valley destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg for the July-August period numbered around 1 lakh, according to official figures from the J&K Tourism Department. Around 76,880 tourists visited in the winter season, between January and March 2021.