Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir is one state in India, which has the highest potential for tourism. But with hartals, strikes and the unrest in the Valley tourism has been badly affected. This year, the peak season in April-May saw tourists giving the Valley a skip with elections underway.
Chunni Lal, a government employee, was looking forward to a family trip, their first since the family migrated to Jammu 20 years ago. But the unrest there dampened his spirits.
"There is tension in the Valley, curfew has been clamped and we can't go due to strikes there," Chunni Lal said.
One hundred fifty Kashmiri pandits have cancelled their Kashmir tour due to prevailing unrest in the Valley.
"Our house is in the Valley, but I can't go there," said Varshan Pandita, Chunni Lal's daughter.
But there are others like Sheetal who are still waiting for the situation to improve. Sheetal was forced to cancel her plans of visiting Kashmir last year due to the Amarnath land agitation. She doesn't want to miss it this time.
"Kashmir is not just considered as the paradise of India, but the paradise of the whole world. We would really like to see the Valley," Sheetal said.
Tour operators say they suffered 90 per cent tourist cancellations during the recent parliamentary and state elections. But they have a message for tourists.
"Things are okay, this is happening all over the country and all over the world, tourists are not being targeted per se," said Captain Anil Gaur, Chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators, J&K Chapter.
Tourism has always been the first causality of any unrest in the Valley. There is perhaps a need to reassure the tourists that the Valley is safe for them, after all, tourism is the main industry of the state and backbone of its economy.