kashmirdispatch.com
By: Bilal Kuchay
Winter tourism, which was at its peak, has been hit after the execution of Afzal Guru, as almost 90 per cent bookings have been cancelled for the month of February which is worrying the tourism fraternity of Kashmir.
The local tourism stakeholders said that due to the prevailing conditions in the valley, tourists are leaving from Kashmir and bookings are being cancelled continuously which is huge set-back for the local tourism players.“Almost 90 percent bookings have been cancelled for the month of February due to the prevailing conditions in the Valley. We received a huge tourist rush in the last month but after the hanging of Afzal Guru, tourists are cancelling their bookings,” said President Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF), Faiz Ahmad Bakhshi.
Faiz further said that Valley received bumper tourism in the last two years and they hope that the situation would get better very soon and tourists in huge numbers will visit Kashmir again. “This is a time when visitor plan their tour but this time due to the prevailing situation in Valley, tourists will prefer to visit other places but we hope the situation will get better so that tourists in huge number will continue to visit Valley again in the summer season,” Faiz added.
Chief Spokesman Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Siraj Ahmad said that GoI has done a big mistake by hanging Afzal Guru and whatever is the situation in Kashmir and the economic losses Valley is witnessing, these are the repercussions of hanging of Afzal Guru.“GoI would have changed the death sentence of Afzal Guru to life imprisonment and everything would have been in order but whatever the problems Kashmir is witnessing at present, it is due to the blunder done by GoI,” Ahmad added.
Deputy Director Tourism Recreation and Publicity, Abid Maqbool said that after the hanging of Afzal Guru, there is a huge decrease in the number of tourists in the Valley.
Shaheed Afzal Guru 