In the first two months of this year, over 2.5 lakh have visited Kashmir.
SRINAGAR: The government of Jammu and Kashmir is expecting a record number of tourists in the spring season starting from mid-March. Fazlul Hafeez, Director Tourism Kashmir, told media that in the first two months of this year, more than 2.5 lakh tourists have visited Kashmir and they are expecting three times more in March as it is the beginning of spring season.
Talking to this newspaper on Friday on the sidelines of a cycling event organized at Almond Heritage Garden or Badamveir in Srinagar, he said that they are ready to celebrate the spring season across Mughal heritage gardens of Srinagar along with the places like Yousmarg etc.
He said, “With the help of the central government, footfall of foreign tourists will also increase this year.” He added that already they are expecting tourists from South East Asian and European markets. More tourism road shows would be held in these countries to sell Kashmir as a safe and secure destination.”
Heritage garden of Baghi Waris Khan, the Afghan ruler who renovated this garden in the foothills of Kohi-Maran in Srinagar city, is ready to greet tourists and visitors with full bloom on thousands of almond trees in this garden. The garden known locally as Badamveir (Almond Garden) is presently dotted with pink and white flowers on all its almond trees. As this garden has been opened for visitors, it is the signal of arrival of spring season in Kashmir valley.
Fazlul Hafeez, Director Tourism Kashmir, organized a cycling expedition from Badamveiri to mark the beginning of spring season in Kashmir valley. He said at the event that cycling would be a priority tourism product and Badamveiri was chosen to mark the beginning of spring season here.
The Tourism Department, along with the J&K Information Department, are coordinating with different film crews to shoot their songs and films in Kashmir during the current year. Recently, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhat were in Gulmarg to shoot one of the movie songs and the social media was abuzz with their shooting schedule and the breathtaking visuals of Gulmarg.
At present from the Tamil film industry, many crews are shooting in the Kashmir valley. One of the film units of Tamil Nadu is staying at Pahalgam and is busy shooting for their upcoming movie “Leo”, a gangster action film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Fazlul Hafeez said that they are expecting a lot of shooting crews to reach Kashmir and shoot songs in the spring season. He said that they are expecting south film crews to shoot in the heritage almond garden of Srinagar and Asia’s largest Tulip garden which will be having a flower carpet of 15 lakh tulips of different varieties and colours for the shooting of songs.
Asia’s largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar is all set to be thrown open to the public on 19 March, officials said here on Thursday. An official told this newspaper that the garden will be thrown open on 19 March during a grand opening ceremony. Recently, the government has brought several border areas on tourism maps which include Keran, Machil, Tangdhar, Teetwal, Gurez, Bangus Valley and other places to promote border tourism in J&K.