Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 11: Although the Jammu and Kashmir administration withdrew advisory asking tourists to leave the Kashmir valley immediately in the month of August from October 10, but inflow of tourists continued and during two months of August and September, more than 65,000 tourists visited to Ladakh and more than 21 lakhs to parts of Jammu province.
On August 4, Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory for the tourists and the Amarnath pilgrims asking them to immediately leave the Valley in view of terror threat but a day after, Article 370 and 35A, which provided special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated and the state was bifurcated into Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union territories.
As per official figures so far in nine months of current year, as many as 2,66,322 (figure in lakhs) tourists visited to the Ladakh region known as 'Cold Desert' out of which in the month of August, 44,107 and in September, 22,339 tourists visited to different locations thus taking total to 66,446.
However, out of total tourists visited in nine months, total foreign tourists were 27,617 comprising, 7987 in August and 4168 in September and as many as 2,30,365 domestic tourists visited Ladakh including 33,928 in August and 17,257 in September.
"There was some decline this year in the months of August and September with context to inflow of tourists but as compared to Kashmir valley, where restrictions were laid and security was heightened in August and September, the number of tourists visited to Ladakh was much higher," said an official of Leh Tourism Department pleading anonymity.
Meanwhile in 2018, total number of tourists visited to Ladakh was 3,27,366 lakh out of which 49,477 were foreigners and 2,77,889 were domestic.
As per figures, in 2018, as many as 91,670 tourists visited to Ladakh in August-September and in 2019, the total figure was 66,446, which means that there was a decline of around 25,224 tourists in view of situation erupted in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370. An official said that mostly the tourists arrive to Leh-Ladakh region by Air, adding that out of the total foreigner tourists, a large number of 474 French tourists visited to Ladakh in September followed by 390 from Thailand, 299 from Germany, 298 from Japan, 285 from Malaysia, 282 from Israel, 261 from America, 254 from Britain and 233 from Australia. However, official sources in the Jammu Tourism Department said that during the period of August-September when tourist advisory was already into force for the visitors to visit the Kashmir valley, around 21 lakh tourists visited to parts of Jammu region. "In total so far from January to September, 2019, approximately 1.25 crore (1,24,13,754) tourists visited to Jammu region," said an official adding that out of this figure, 9,98,618 (lakh) visited in August and 11,19,369 in September and the total figure in these two moths was around 21 lakhs (21,17,987).
In August, 79 foreigners and 9,98,539 domestic and in September, 34 foreigners and 11,19,335 domestic tourists visited to Jammu region, they said adding that total foreigners visited to the region in the past nine months were 7175 and the domestic visitors were 1,24,06,579.
"Highest number of tourists/pilgrims visited to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Cave Shrine in first nine months and the figure has touched around 60 lakhs (59,95,618) followed by record number of 8,21,656 tourists visited to Bhaderwah valley commonly known as 'Mini Kashmir', which has emerged another most visited and favourite destinations for the visitors in the past two years. |
