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| Hike in airfare worries stakeholders in Kashmir | | | Bashir Assad
Srinagar, Apr 14: The steep hike in airfares by the airlines operating here is not worrisome for the tour operators in Kashmir but hike in the price of Gulmarg Gondola ticket by peanuts is something the operators are agitating upon mindlessly.
According to many stakeholders, presently, Air India charges in the range of Rs 20,000 airfare on Delhi-Srinagar sector, Jet Airways - Rs 19,000, Spice Jet - Rs 12,000 and Indigo - Rs 9,000- something really disturbing for the tourist operators offering cheaper packages to the tourists because the hike runs in thousands.
According to insiders Air India's fare on Delhi-Dubai sector is in the range of Rs 11,000 and for Oman it is just Rs 9,000 which is half the fare being charged on Delhi-Srinagar segment. Similarly, airfares from Delhi to Malaysia and Singapore are in the range of Rs 17,093 and Rs 14,883 respectively. Interestingly, Srinagar-Delhi flight duration is between 1:15 to 1.30 hours, while as the duration time between Delhi to Dubai or Malaysia or Singapore is more than three hours. This is something which should have been agitated upon by the stakeholders.
But when J&K Cable Car Corporation announced hike in the price of Gulmarg Gondola ticket, tourist condemned it vociferously. Pertinently the price has been increased by Rs 200 per ticket to Rs 600. They forget that J&K Cable Car has shown remarkable growth during last one year or so and has earned record revenue of Rs. 40 crores for the 2013-2014 fiscal. The impressive figures are more the Rs 30 crores earmarked by JKCCC for the same period. "Against an estimated target of Rs 30 crores, we have registered record revenue of Rs 40 crores for the previous fiscal. At least, seven lakh tourists--with a huge chunk coming from domestic arrivals--enjoyed the cable car ride during the fiscal," Managing Director of JKCCC, Tufail Mattoo told Early Times.
For the current fiscal (2014-2015, we have fixed the target of earning Rs. 50 crore and I am sure we will be able to achieve the target easily.
"With Gulmarg covered in a white blanket of snow we are expecting a further jump in the revenue collections in the ensuing period. As the world famous winter sports destination will witness unprecedented rush of tourists (adventure loving mostly) in the coming months. We are eyeing that the record sales of previous fiscal will be broken," Mattoo said.
He added that with Rs 40 crores of revenue earned during the fiscal just concluded, the Corporation is eyeing sales of Rs 50 crores-ten more than the previous fiscal- by the end of this financial year. Mattoo said that adventure tourism has also contributed immensely in the revenue generation during last three months.
On hike in tickets for Gondola ride, Mattoo said the hike was justified and was far little than what is being charged in other countries. " For taking a ride on Gondola in European countries is much much costlier while as Gulmerg Gondola ride is the highest ride in the world and the J&K CCC is providing world class facilities at Gulmerg.
"What concerns us is the steep hike in airfares and increase in Gondola ticket by just 200 rupees can in no way be disturbing for anyone" Mattoo said.
Stating that Pilgrim tourism will get a major boost in the Sher-i-Khaas with the commissioning of ropeway at the Makhdoom Sahib's shrine, Mattoo said that domestic and foreign tourists adore the Sufism way of Islam in Kashmir.
He said that the local believers have shown least interest in having the cable car ride saying that climbing the flight of stairs has been part of their deep religious and emotional attachment with Makhdoom Sahib (RA).
"So we are relying more on the foreign and domestic tourists as the Sufi way of Islam attracts them to Kashmir. Besides, the commissioning of the ropeway will also generate employment to others associated with tourism in old city area of Srinagar," added Mattoo.
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