''Kashmir is without tourists now''

Srinagar, Jun 4 (UNI) The tourism industry in Kashmir has been hit hard by the recent wave of attacks on visitors in the Valley with several cancellations reported during the past few days, official sources said today.

However, the Jammu and Kashmir government and the tourism industry was now pinning all hopes on the two-month-long Amarnath pilgrimage, commencing on June 11.

The officials expressed the hope that the decline in tourist arrivals would be temporary and soon see a revival.

They expected more than ten lakh visitors this year despite the violence and claimed that about 1.8 lakh tourists have visited the Kashmir valley so far.

The sources said about 90 per cent decline in tourist arrivals has been witnessed over the past few days.

''Kashmir is almost without tourists now. Very few are left now in the Valley. More than 60 per cent cancellations have been reported so far and more and more are pouring in,'' Hotel and Restaurant Association President Habibullah Mir told UNI.

He said the hotels have less occupancy rates and there were no bookings for the coming few weeks.

Houseboat Owners Association President Mohammad Azim Tuman said about 65 per cent cancellations, mostly groups, have been reported after the latest attacks on tourists.

At least 31 tourists from West Bengal were wounded in grenade attacks on two buses in Dalgate area here on May 31. One of the tourists later succumbed to wounds in the hospital on Friday.

A week ago on May 25, four tourists from Gujarat were killed and six wounded in a similar attack at Batapora, Zakura on the city outskirts .

In two other incidents last month, a tourist and a local driver were killed at Soura on the city outskirts and a dozen visitors wounded in separate grenade attacks in the summer capital and at world famous resort of Pahalgam.

''There is a scare among the tourists after the attacks. We are facing a lot of problems. The houseboat and shikara owners are the worst sufferers,'' Mr Tuman said.

He claimed that a majority of travel agents in West Bengal were taking no bookings for Kashmir.

''They (West Bengal travel agents) have displayed signboards in their offices mentioning that no bookings for Kashmir. This is most damaging for the tourism industry in Kashmir as Bengalis form a large chunk of visitors to the Valley,'' Mr Tuman said.

However, both Mr Mir and Mr Tiuman said there was still hope as the Amarnath pilgrimage was commencing some days from now.

''Thousands and thousands of pilgrim tourists visit Kashmir every year. This year we expect a substantial increase in the number of pilgrim tourists in Kashmir. Besides, Puja holidays are also coming.

We are adopting a wait and watch policy and see how things shape up.

We are keeping our fingers crossed and hope that the situation improves in the near future,'' they added.

Mr Tuman wondered who was behind attacks on tourists after the militant groups distanced themselves from such incidents.

In a statement here, the Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Federation said the recent attacks should be viewed with a flexible mind as these do not deserve to be equated with the incidents which take place globally.

''Certain vested interests blow such stray incidents out of proportion for making some fast buck. These negative elements forget that world known Kashmiri hospitality cannot be ignored,'' it added.

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