Considerable drop in tourists and pilgrims arrival

Srinagar, Sep 5: The Kashmir valley and Jammu division witnessed a considerable drop in the tourist arrival during the two- month-long turmoil on Shri Amarnath land row.

Officials said here today about 1,50,000 tourists visited the Kashmir valley during the month of June. However, the number of tourist arrival was reduced to 51,000 in July and just 11,000 in August.

They said an average of 6,500 tourists were arriving in the valley daily in June which later dropped to just 320 in August.

Similarly, against 13 lakh pilgrims, who visited the Vaishnodevi Shrine in Jammu region during the month of August 2007, only eight lakhs arrived there in the months of July and August this year.

UNI