Shortage of hotel rooms in J&K

3,500 tourists arriving every day, 300 more luxury tents in Gulmarg

To cater to the big rise in tourist arrivals, the state government has decided to provide more accommodation at Gulmarg and other tourist destinations and has launched a helicopter service from Srinagar to Gulmarg and Pahalgam.

The Gulmarg Development Authority has been asked to provide for 300 more beds by pitching luxury tents. At present, 600 rooms are available in Gulmarg.

The number of tourists has risen to 100,000 from 20,000 the previous year. Around 3,500 tourists were arriving every day, officials claimed.

The helicopter service, which was launched on June 17, takes only 15 minutes to reach tourist destinations in north or south Kashmir from Srinagar.

The service provided an opportunity to the locals as well as tourists to have an aerial view of the famous health resorts, said a tourism department official.

Called "Air Safari", the service costs Rs 7,000 for a journey to Gulmarg from Srinagar and Rs 9,400 for Pahalgam. A provision has been made for families or groups who wish to have the aerial view of Srinagar, Wullar Lake, Lidder and the Sind Valley. It will cost Rs 35,000 per person.

Because of the security problem the tourism department felt it necessary to start the helicopter service in the Valley, which would also prove to be a boon for Amarnath pilgrims, he said.

A special seven-seater helicopter has been taken on lease on trial basis by the department to see how the service would help attract local and international tourists.

The rise in tourist inflow has created shortage of rooms, with all hotels displaying "no accommodation" boards and tourists arriving without bookings being accommodated in tents and residences-turned-guest houses.

There has also been demands that over 60 hotels occupied by security forces and government employees as part of the yearly "Durbar move"""mainstay of the hotel sector during the decade-long militancy in the state""be made available to tourists

Expressing happiness over the tourist inflow, Tourism Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said steps were being taken to provide more accommodation. Hundreds of private houses had been turned into guest houses and a large number of houseboats had been renovated, the minister said and added a 80-room Centuar Hotel would be thrown open for tourists soon.

On the occupation of hotels by security forces, he said their presence was needed and they would be shifted out in a phased manner. Also, it would take not less than a year to renovate these hotels, he added.