Can heritage tourism do the trick in Kashmir?
One Heritage Zone would fetch Rs 200 Crores
Mehboob Jeelani (Rising Kashmir)
Srinagar: The setting up of one heritage zone in old-city can generate Rs 200 crore annually for Kashmir’s tourism industry, according to experts.
The tourism industry in Kashmir generates Rs 1000 Crore revenue annually according to an independent survey by an NGO and with the introduction of heritage tourism another Rs 200 crore are likely to be added to the current income. Besides heritage tourism is likely to prolong tourist stay in Kashmir.
“If one zone would be safeguarded in old city and transformed into a heritage zone, it has a potential to prolong a tourist’s stay by one day in Srinagar,” President Federation of Commerce and Industry Kashmir (FCIK) Shakeel Qalander said.
Qalander said that Zaina Kadal- MR Gunj-Jamia Masjid belt has an enormous potential to attract foreign and domestic tourists.
“All along on the banks of Jehlum there are still hundreds of traditional Kashmiri houses having essential heritage features. If government will preserve Zaina Kadal-MR Gunj-Jamia Masjid belt and declare it as heritage zone, it would not only add up to the revenue but also eradicate the unemployment to some extent in old-city,” he said.
An expert from J&K tourism department wishing anonymity said that an average stay of foreign tourist in Srinagar is between 2-3 days and domestic 5-7 days.
“A domestic tourist at an average spends Rs.964 per day and a foreigner Rs.1925. If both will increase their stay by one day in Srinagar, it will definitely help the local economy,” he said.
He said in many parts of the world the tourism industry had introduced souvenir tourism.
“Souvenir tourism means that a tourist is shown such kind of places which remind about the past of that particular country or state,” he added.
He said the best tourist destinations of world increase the tourist activities and excursion options which significantly improves the overall tourism product.
“In 2008, 10 lakh 71 thousand domestic tourists arrived in Kashmir out of which 4 lakh were Amarnath pilgrims and 22 thousand were foreigners,” he added.
Meanwhile, J&K chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritag (INTACH) has done mapping of Srinagar city by dividing it in four heritage zones.
However, Convener of INTACH Muhammad Saleem Beg said that due to the non-serious approach of the government the city had become fractured.
“This city has been declared endangered among the world’s hundred heritage cities,” Beg said.
Beg said unless the State Government would frame a proper policy for safe guarding the heritage of Srinagar city “the concept of heritage tourism is inappropriate”.