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| Newly developed 'Betaab Valley' attracts horde of tourists | | | Early Times Report
Pahalgam, June 18: Set amidst thick pine forests and rolling green pastures, the newly developed Betaab Valley in Kashmir has become a hot tourist destination.
Located eight kilometers away from Pahalgam tourist resort and 108 kilometers from Srinagar, this picturesque valley is named after hit Bollywood movie "Betaab", which was shot here.
The picturesque valley, surrounded by snow-clad mountains and coniferous forests has now become hit among tourists and holidaying crowd.
It is indeed a lovely spot to just relax and soak in the beauty of nature. It's a great location and we are enjoying very much. It's quite scenic. You can see water, greenery and mountains everything together. It's a unique location at its best," said Rupal Sharma, a tourist.
Tourists also enjoy pony ride and trout fishing in this newly developed tourist resort.
"A lot of tourists come here. They come here to see the river, greenery and also because the movie "Betaab" was shot here that's why the location is very famous," said Yousuf, a local resident.
Meanwhile, the tourism department of the state is trying its best to promote the place as popular destination for tourists.
Farooq Shah, Director, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department said that the department and the Pahalgam Development Authority are jointly working to provide more facilities to the tourists.
He also said that the central government was providing funds for promoting the location.
"We want to set up some basic facilities there like a restaurant with public conveyance facilities and also we will try our best to keep the area in its natural self, only add few facilities for the benefit of the tourists," noted Farooq Shah.
Kashmir has been among the top Asian tourism destinations, particularly for the honeymoon couples, nature lovers, skiers and trekkers.
Annually, around a million tourists used to visit the Kashmir valley until militancy broke out in 1989.
However, over the past couple of years, visitors have started returning to the scenic Himalayan region as violence declined after India and Pakistan who claim the region in full but rule it in parts, started a slow-moving peace process in 2004.
According to official figures, 430,000 tourists including 23,000 foreigners visited Kashmir in 2008.
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