Avoid trips to Kashmir, US, UK, Oz tell citizens

NEW DELHI: Nearly two weeks of unrest in Jammur & Kashmir has taken its toll on tourism as well, with cancellations galore.

With the Kashmir Valley hit by protests and curfew countries like the US, the UK and Australia have issued advisories warning against travel to the state.
According to the tourism ministry, foreign tourist arrivals in the state have come down to a three-year low. Travel trade executives said nearly all bookings for the next two months had been cancelled.

"People had made holiday plans for the long Independence Day weekend in August.This is also a time when people like to grab a quick weekend before the winter season officially begins as prices are not too high. All these travel plans have been badly hit," said Ashish Dewan, a tour operator who conducts regular tours to Jammur & Kashmir.

Since the 2014 floods, J&K tourism has been struggling to regain momentum, but in vain. This has affected taxi drivers, local guides and other traders, besides hotels and restaurants.

Jitender Salunke from Mumbai was scheduled to travel to J&K on July 23 but cancelled his plans, while R Kannan had sought advice on Tripadvisor's forum on backup plans as he had already booked a holiday to Srinagar in August.

UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in its advisory on Tuesday, advised against travel to destinations like Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg.
"If you're travelling in or through Srinagar, you should remain vigilant, avoid protests or large gatherings, follow the advice of local authorities and your travel company and monitor the local media," the alert said. The US and Australia have issued similar advisories to its citizens.