By Karan Choudhury
New Delhi, May 23 : The Northeast of India and Kashmir are the more preferred tourist destinations this summer compared with Shimla and Manali.
Violence and internal disturbances had adversely affected tourism in the two regions.
According to industry sources, both the destinations have witnessed a sharp inflow of tourists.
“The tourism industry in Kashmir is booming again. We have seen a 35-40 per cent increase in the number of bookings this season over last year.
It’s interesting how people are going back to a place they avoided for years.
Gulmarg, Srinagar and other areas in the valley are playing host to a sea of tourists,” Sabina Chopra, co-founder of Yatra.com, said.
In the Northeast, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have emerged as the hotspots.
“People who would earlier just go to select hill stations in North India are experimenting and going to places such as Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
Places such as Darjeeling that mostly saw tourists from the eastern parts are becoming the new hot-spots for North Indian tourists,” said Subhash Goyal, chairman of Stic Travel
According to tour operators, this year more than 26,000 people have made bookings for different regions in the Northeast.
“People are not afraid of going to Kashmir or the Northeast anymore as the scenario is changing. Terrorism and insurgency, though still present, have taken a back seat.
The Northeast still has many places that are untouched and scenic. People want to see new places and these places are the best the country has to offer,” said Ashish Kumar, chief executive officer, AK Associates.
For a trip to these places, one could spend between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000 depending on the type of travel package.
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