Kashmir's Tourist Boom in 2024: Amarnath Yatra an Exception to Record Surge of Visitors

Kashmir has become a popular tourist destination for attractions like Dal Lake, the Mughal and tulip gardens, the resorts of Gulmarg, and the scenic Pahalgam. A 20 percent increase in tourists was recorded in the first half of 2024 while a slight decrease was noticed in Amarnath pilgrims.

SRINAGAR (Jammu and Kashmir) : In the first half of 2024, Kashmir saw a remarkable uptick in tourism, with 15.60 lakh tourists visiting the scenic region — a 20 percent increase from the 13 lakh during the same period last year. Despite this surge, hoteliers feel that the influx of Amarnath yatris has slightly decreased the number of regular tourists.

According to officials, the Himalayan valley has become a popular destination for both domestic and international travelers, who are drawn to attractions like Dal Lake, the tulip and Mughal gardens in Srinagar, the resorts of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, and the scenic Pahalgam in the south. Even lesser-known spots are seeing an uptick in visitors.

"We have welcomed roughly 16 lakh tourists by June 30 this year, compared to 13 lakh during the same timeframe last year," said Kashmir tourism director Raja Yaqoob Farooq. "The number of foreign tourists has also increased to approximately 26,000 from 14,000 last year." Yaqoob attributed this growth to improved law and order in the region, the opening of new tourist destinations, and enhanced infrastructure.

He highlighted the opening of around 10 new tourist spots, including Daksun Sinthan, with Gurez receiving the best offbeat tourist destination award from the tourism ministry and Lolab securing an Outlook award. "We are expanding our tourism offerings by introducing border tourism sites," Yaqoob added. "Kashmir is becoming a sought-after destination."

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has identified 75 offbeat tourist destinations, including Bungus, Keran, Tangdhar, Gurez, and Dawar along the Line of Control in North Kashmir.

Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha, speaking at a two-day tourism development conclave in Srinagar last week, cited the successful G20 working group meeting in Srinagar last year as a pivotal moment for the region's tourism sector.

"The G-20 Tourism working group meeting in Srinagar last year was a turning point for the Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism sector," Sinha said. "The participants became ambassadors for our tourism, praising Kashmir's hospitality and natural beauty."

Over the past two years, Kashmir has seen unprecedented tourist numbers, with a total of 53.8 lakh visitors—27.10 lakh in 2023, including 4,50,000 Amarnath pilgrims, and 26.7 lakh in 2022. Such figures have not been seen since the onset of militancy in the early 1990s. Prior to this surge, the highest number was 12.67 lakh in 2016.

Hotelier and Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary general Faiz Bakshi noted that March through June were peak months for tourism, although the influx of Amarnath yatris has somewhat reduced regular tourist numbers.

"We have requested the government to allow Amarnath yatris to visit various tourist spots in the valley after their pilgrimage, rather than restricting them to security convoys," Bakshi said. "We plan to offer significant discounts to yatris during the pilgrimage period."