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SRINAGAR: Over 15.3 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir in the last ten years, according to a report presented by the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
Tourists pose for a photograph after wearing Kashmiri dresses. The picture was taken at Pari Mahal in Srinagar on Thursday 17 March 2022. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
The report, provides a detailed breakdown of tourist arrivals before and after August 5, 2019. Between 2015 and 2019, tourism followed a fluctuating but generally upward trend, with 1.33 crore visits recorded in 2015, peaking at 1.69 crore in 2018, before a slight decline to 1.62 crore in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp fall in 2020, with only 0.35 crore tourists visiting the region. However, numbers rebounded in 2021 with 1.13 crore visits, followed by a strong recovery in 2022 (1.89 crore), 2023 (2.12 crore), and 2024 (2.36 crore).
The report credits several government initiatives for the revival of tourism, particularly the Home Stay Policy 2022, which enables residential houses to be converted into homestays, generating alternative income and employment for rural and urban families. At present, 2,302 homestays and paying guest houses (PGHs) are registered across JK.
Skill development programmes have also played a key role in enhancing tourism-related services such as hospitality, guiding, and management. The report notes that adventure tourism—including trekking, skiing, river rafting, and mountain biking—has created employment for local guides, instructors, and operators.
JK’s tourism and craft sectors have received further recognition, with Srinagar being designated a World Crafts City by the World Craft Council (WCC) and included in UNESCO’s Creative City Network for Crafts and Folk Arts. The region also leads India’s Union Territories in export rankings for 2022, with handloom and handicraft exports doubling between 2021-22 and 2023-24. Other key achievements include 4.22 lakh registered artisans, 7,535 registered cooperative societies, and the introduction of a Credit Card Scheme for artisans and weavers.
The committee acknowledged the steps taken to promote tourism and expressed satisfaction with the increasing number of tourist arrivals. It emphasised the tourism sector’s role in generating revenue, employment, and supporting local businesses. Additionally, the report urged the J&K administration to develop a comprehensive roadmap to establish the region as a world-class tourism destination while ensuring sustainable economic growth. (KNO)
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