Airfare Hike: Is anybody listening?
By: Dr. Mudasir Ahmad Gori
Kashmir known for many reasons has hit the news desk again with the rise in airfare just at a time when the tourism seemed picking up and the lull by two covid lockdowns was slowly and gradually breaking. As a matter of fact, air travel from Delhi to Dubai is much cheaper than a flight to Kashmir.
Kashmir administration is well aware of the fact that the tourism sector here which has suffered massively during past two years was just regaining some momentum and if the airfare and other such charges were kept at decent margins, it might have just helped the tourism sector greatly. But unfortunately administration too seems in deep slumber as the wavering airfare is definitely causing a dent to the overall tourist flow to the valley. By this standard, the tourist flow will definitely decrease drastically and will impact the overall economy of the UT.
We expect honorable governor may please intervene and appeal to the central government, to take necessary steps so that this issue is addressed. If by any chance the request of such a great political figure of the UT is not heeded, how would the wailings of common Kashmiri reach to the people sitting in cozy offices?
Last year senior president of Kashmir Chambers and Industry,Nasir Hamid Khan, claimed that they highlighted this issue many times and in fact offered many suggestions but yet it was overlooked and nothing substantial was done in this regard. It appears that Govt. is not willing to listen to the woes of the tourism players of Kashmir. The previous governor, Satyapal Malik, had issued the warning by the governor’s administration to the airlines over the exploitation of Srinagar-bound passengers by the airlines. This time around, a similar effort is needed from the LG’s office so as to resolve the matter for the benefit of the people associated with tourism here.
It is a known fact that owing to the risk of accident prone road link connecting the rest of the country with Kashmir, people desirous of travelling to the valley often chose airlines for the comfort and safety. But if the airfare keeps jumping upwards each time and each tourist season, several tourists might not even think of coming to Kashmir. After all, why would any tourist visit Kashmir for Rs 20000 when the same destination would cost him 3000 to 4000 normally? It is a serious setback to the tourism sector.
However, this can be averted by fixing reasonable price figure so that it becomes affordable as well as convenient for people wanting to come to Kashmir this season.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
