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March 25th marked the new beginning of the tourist season in Kashmir as Asia’s largest tulip festival opened its gates for visitors. On the foothills of the Zabarwan mountains, the majestic tulip garden will see around 15 lakh flowers of more than 64 varieties to enthral the visitors.

At the beginning of the holiday season in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “Whenever you get the opportunity, do visit Jammu and Kashmir and witness the scenic Tulip festival. In addition to the tulips, you will experience the warm hospitality of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, last year was a ‘zero year’ for the tourism sector in Kashmir. One year on, the cases have again started surging again. Though Kashmir is witnessing relatively fewer cases than the rest of the states in India, the scepticism is visible from the footfall this year as well.

Money9’s Hemanshi Tewari spoke to Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary Tourism J&K, on this subject. Edited excerpts:

Even though we are amid the second wave, cases are on the rise but some states like Kashmir have a very low count, are things looking up with the Tulip festival around the corner?

We are expecting good footfall this season. We have been to many cities and invited people from many cities to J&K. On 25th March also I came to Delhi to invite people to visit J&K. We haven’t lowered our spirits. J&K tourism has bounced back always and we are working together to invite more and more people.

Last year was a zero year. It was a difficult time for us as well. But we utilised this time for building capacity, keeping in mind all the covid protocols. Kashmir is all about beauty and nature. We are hopeful with the travel going up this season.

What are the prerequisites for the people who want to visit the valley?

Kashmir is a beautiful place in our country. The prerequisite is wanting you to go and see Kashmir first. Testing facilities at airports are free of cost without any inconvenience. Obviously, wearing masks and maintaining social distance is a must. Even the travel part has been made easy. Direct flights from Ahmedabad, Calcutta and Bombay have started. Currently, there are 35 direct flights from Delhi to Kashmir.

What initiatives have the tourism department taken to increase the footfall this season, considering last year did not see any tourists?

Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places in India. People need to take advantage. We have also planned to open several unexplored destinations in Kashmir like Bhaderwah, Basoli, Gurez Valley, Suchetgarh and Ranjit Sagar lake. We have planned several adventure sports and other activities in high altitude lakes.

Kashmir is traditionally a tourist place. People here have a good idea of what tourists want. They have started preparing for the holiday season. Most Importantly, we are not taking tourism in isolation. We are also taking handicrafts, culture, food etc to provide a wholesome experience to the tourists. Tourism is the priority sector for the J & K government.

Budget for tourism has been enhanced this year. The public and private sector work together in Kashmir to revive the tourism industry here. One of the best examples of public-private partnership is that we have been travelling to different cities to invite people. We are travelling with many other people as well. Travel trade work hand in hand to provide the best experience to the visitors.