Problems and Prospects of Tourism Indusrty in Kashmir

Home , Anchar Lake, Bangus Valley, Banihal Pass, Betaab Valley, Chashme Shahi, Doodhpathri

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF TOURISM INDUSRTY IN KASHMIR

THESIS

SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF

Doctor of Philosophy IN GEOGRAPHY

BY ABDUL HAMID MIR

Under The Supervision of PROF. ATEEQUE AHMAD

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY Maulana AzadALIGARH Library, MUSLIM Aligarh UNIVERSITY Muslim University ALIGARH, U.P. (INDIA) 2018

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY Email:[email protected] Aligarh Muslim University Phone: +091-8755528725 Aligarh – 202002 (INDIA)

Dated: ……………………….

Candidate’s Declaration

I, Abdul Hamid Mir, Department of Geography certify that the work embodied in this Ph.D thesis is my own bonafide work carried out by me under the supervision of Prof. Ateeque Ahmad, at Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University. The matter embodied in this Ph.D. thesis has not been submitted for the award of any other degree. I declare that I have faithfully acknowledged, given credit to and referred to the research workers wherever their works have been cited in the text and the body of the thesis. I further certify that I have not wilfully lifted up some other’s work, para, text, data, result etc., reported in the journals, books, magazines, reports, dissertations, thesis, etc., or available at web sites and included them in this Ph.D. thesis and cited as my own work.

Abdul Hamid Mir ......

CERTIFICATE FROM THE SUPERVISOR/CO-SUPERVISOR This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is correct to the best of my knowledge.

Prof. Ateeque Ahmad Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh MuslimDepartment University of Geography A.M.U, Aligarh- India

(Signature of the Chairman of the Department with seal) PROF. ATEEQUE AHMAD DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY M.A., Ph.D Aligarh Muslim University Chairperson Aligarh - 202 002 (INDIA)

Dated: ………………………..

Certificate

This is to certify that Abdul Hamid Mir has completed his doctoral thesis entitled, “Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir”, for the award of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, under my supervision and guidance. In my opinion, it is fit to submit for evaluation.

Prof. Ateeque Ahmad (Supervisor)

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Phone (Office): +91-571-2700683, Mobile No: +91-9997413988, Fax: +91-571-2700528 E-mail: [email protected]

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH-202002 (INDIA)

Date: ......

Title of the Thesis: Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir.

Candidate’s Name: Abdul Hamid Mir

The undersigned hereby assigns to Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh copyright that may exist in and for the above thesis submitted for the award of the Ph.D. degree.

Abdul Hamid Mir

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Note: However, the author may reproduce or authorize others to reproduce material extracted verbatim from the thesis or derivative of the thesis for author’s personal use provided that the source and the University’s copyright notice are indicated.

Mob: +91 - 8755528725, E-mail: [email protected]

Acknowledgement First of all I pay my heartfelt gratitude to almighty Allah who provided me the vision and courage to complete this work. He guided me through his innumerable and invisible ways to fulfil this endeavor of mine. I feel great pleasure to express my deep sense of respect and sincere gratitude to my esteemed supervisor Professor Ateeque Ahmad, Chairperson, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, for his precious constructive guidance, constant encouragement, continuous inspiration, sincere criticism, his enthusiasm, valuable suggestions, authentic ideas, generous efforts and last but not least friendly love, care and affection in making this work a success. To Sir, I wish to say ‘You are wonderful supervisor, professor, researcher and above all a good human being. I am also grateful to all my teachers, Department of Geography for their valuable suggestions and guidance at different stages of my study. I am also extremely indebted to Dr. Mohammad Sultan Lone, DIG Kashmir, for his understanding, encouragement and personal attention which have provided good and smooth basis for my Ph.D. tenure. My thanks are due to Dr. Shabir Ahmad Parray (Medical Officer Srinagar) and Dr. Abdul Wahid Mir (Senior Oncologist SKIMS Srinagar) for their valuable suggestions and advices. I have sincere thanks for the officials of the tourism department, Kashmir for their kind help in providing me the required data and information. I also convey my thanks to all the staff members of Maulana Azad Library and Research Seminar Library, Aligarh Muslim University for their generous help. It is my earnest duty to express my special thanks to my mother, Mrs. Haja Begum and my father, Mr. Abdul Razak Mir for their blessing, love, encouragement and belief in me. Their constant source of motivation and praise provided me the will to complete this work. My loving thanks to my brother Manzoor Ahmad Mir and his wife Jawhara, sisters (Muneera and Nasreena) and other relatives for their valuable help and support. I also convey my thanks to my little nephews Shahid, Hazu, Shanu, and lovely nieces Fayak, Farhan and Mursib for relaxing me during the peak hours of my research work. My special thanks also to Shabir Ahmad and Gh. Mustaffa for their unconditional support and encouragement. I have sincere thanks to my seniors Dr. Syed Kausar Shamim, Dr. Mehraj and Dr. Nighat Bano for their valuable suggestions. In the last but not least I am greatly and wholeheartedly thankful to my intimate friends Aashiq Bhai, Aashiq, Areful, Akhtarul, Azim, Ishfaq, Mainul, Manzoor, Mehtab, Moin, MaulanaMudasir,Mushtaq, Azad Rafi, Sabahat, Library, Sajad, Sajid, AligarhShahnawaz, Shabina, Muslim Showket, Suhail, University Suhina, Tanseer, Umar, Umair and wajahat for their constant help and support in completing this work.

Abdul Hamid Mir

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Tourism in general way is defined as the temporary movement of the people to destinations away from their place or normal habitat, the activities entered upon during their stay in that destination and the facilities developed to provide their needs. However, on 4th March 1993, the international organization responsible for tourism, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) gave a modern definition of tourism. According to WTO ‘tourism is defined as the activities of persons travelling to and staying in place outside their usual environment for more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity compensated from within the place visited’. It is the world’s largest and fastest growing industry in its range and dimension and has become an important economic sector in many developing and least developed countries. It involves no erection of factories and earns a large sum of foreign exchange without exporting any tangible product. It makes an unquestionable contribution to local economies, job creation, and sustainable development and plays a key role in the transformation to Green Economy. With it's backward and forward relationships with other sectors of the economy, like transport, handicrafts, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture, etc., tourism has the potential to not only be the economic driver but also become an effective tool for poverty alleviation and ensuring growth with equity. Besides providing employment to a large chunk of the population, tourism can be the instrument of regional policy and at achieving an equitable balance between major industrial areas. It enables the wealth earned from one part of the region to be transferred to another. Thus, it is an important means of promoting cultural exchange and international co-operation.

Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and deepening diversification to become one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Despite continuous geopolitical, economic and health challenges in many parts of the world, this sector has shown virtually continuous growth. In 2014, the tourism industry generated US$ 1.5 trillion (9% of global GDP) and 27.7 Maulanacrore jobs whichAzad are 8.7 Library, % of total employment Aligarh for the Muslim global economy. University According to the latest estimates at present, 1 in every 11 people worldwide is employed by the tourism sector. In the year 2014 international tourist arrivals have increased by 4.3 % worldwide and marked 1133 million from 1087 million in 2013 and 1 billion in 2012. The United States recorded the fastest growth with an 8% increase in international

Abstract

arrivals to reach 181 million in 2014 which was 13 million more than in 2013. It was followed by Asia and Pacific region and the Middle East both saw an increase of 5%. The Asia and Pacific region attracted 14 million more tourists taking the regional total to 263 million arrivals while as the Middle East received 3 million more international visitors than in 2013 taking the total to an estimated 51 million. In Europe international tourist arrivals increased by 3% thereby received 15 million more international visitors in 2014 taking the total number to 582 million. While in Africa the figure for international tourist arrival was increased by 2% equivalent to an increase of 1 million arrivals to reach a total of 56 million tourists. In the year 2014, international tourism receipts were increased by 3.7% and reached US$ 1245 billion (US$ 1.5 trillion) from US$ 1197 billion in 2013, (UNWTO, 2015) thus making the industry the world's number one export earner ahead of the automotive, petroleum, chemical and food industry.

expected to generate a total of about 58 million jobs by the year 2020. Travel and tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for India. In 2014, the country managed foreign exchange earnings of USD 19.7 billion from tourism (WTTC, 2015). According to India tourism statistics 2014, India ranks the 11th largest tourist inflow in the Asia-Pacific region and the 42nd worldwide (India Tourism Statistics, 2014).

However, in the State of Jammu and of Kashmir, tourism is one of the State’s major industries and holds a strategic position in the socio-economic development. It is the most vibrant tertiary activity and a multi-billion dollar industry that is considered the Maulanaright vehicle Azad for developing Library, the socio -economicAligarh status Muslim of Jammu and University Kashmir. This sector provides various socio-economic benefits to the people like employment, foreign exchange, infrastructure development and development of local industries like handicrafts and handlooms etc which has placed Jammu and Kashmir always in the limelight at the national as well as international level. It is estimated that almost 50-60 %

Abstract

of total population of Jammu and Kashmir is directly or indirectly engaged in tourism- related activities. This sector contributes about 15% to State Gross Domestic Product (Digest Statistics, 2014).

Kashmir Valley which is one of the three meso regions of Jammu and Kashmir state has been a center of attention for different people for different reasons all over the world. It is blessed with a varied topography that is an unusual mix of snow clad mountains, green meadows, lush green forests, lakes, torrential rivers, waterfalls, pilgrimage sites and historical Gardens. It is said to be a treasure house of geological information due to the diversity of its geographical features. It represents century’s old heritage of culture, religion, language, traditions, architecture and art forms. All these provide immense potential for developing a fabulous variety of tourist attractions. However, because of multitude factors like the political uprising in the region, lack of interest of Government and other authorities, lack of required technology and funds, unawareness of tourists and to some extent isolation of the region, this vast potential is still shrouded behind the scene. Thus, besides few tourist destinations like Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Songmarg and Pahalgam, rest of the huge potential of Kashmir tourism remains untapped and unexplored.

The importance of the present study lies in identifying and highlighting these potentials and problems in the field of tourism development. It especially aims towards finding answers to problems and shortcomings in the field of infrastructure development, quantity, and quality of transport, accommodation, entertainment and recreation, training, marketing and publicity etc. The suggestions from the respondents both local as well as tourists incorporated herein would provide guidelines for future course of action to be followed. The study on tourism in Kashmir may be equally important for all those interested in undertakings similar studies in the context of other regions and states because certain methods and approaches evolved and employed here by the researcher ought to be helpful and fruitful in carrying out further studies of a similar nature.

The main objectives of the present study are: Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University  To examine the determinants of tourism development in Kashmir  To examine and assess the existing problems and prospects of tourism in Kashmir.  To examine the impact of tourism on socio-economic development.  To analyze the spatio-temporal development of tourism in Kashmir.

Abstract

 To evaluate the impact of peace and disturbances on the growth of tourism sector.  To explore the potential sites for future development of tourism in Kashmir.  To suggest diagnostic planning for eco and sustainable tourism development in Kashmir.

The present study makes an attempt to test the following hypothesis:

 Whether the growth and development of tourism in Kashmir has been the victim of insurgency and unrest prevalent in the region since 1989.  Whether the huge potential of tourism still lies untapped and unutilized in Kashmir.  Whether infrastructure facilities has been developed due to tourism in the region.  Whether the local people have been benefitted due to the tourism in the region.  Whether the tourists are satisfied with the current tourism resources of Kashmir.

The present work is empirical in nature and is based on both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data has been collected through structured questionnaires by conducting a field survey at major tourist destinations of Kashmir. While as the secondary sources of data has been collected from various government and non-government agencies such as Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) Srinagar, Year-wise Statistical Digests and Economic Survey Reports (2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15), Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Decadal Census Report, Census office, Srinagar and various published and unpublished data from various sources. Keeping in view all the limitations, purposive random sampling technique has been adopted in the study and data has been collected from the 8 developed tourist destinations viz. Srinagar, Gulmarg, Phalgam, Songmarg, Yousmarg, Manasbal, Verinag and Aharbal. From these 8 tourist destinations 600 local respondents (Category-I) who were directly or indirectly engaged with the tourism industry were surveyed and 500 tourists (Category-II) both domestic and foreign were also taken during the peak tourist season (June to August 2015 & 2016) and the necessary information was collected through an interview schedule from the Maulanarespondents Azad. Library, Aligarh Muslim University To analyze the problems and prospects of tourism industry in Kashmir, Simple descriptive statistical technique of mean, standard deviation, composite z-score and factor analysis have been used to analyze the level of agreement of respondents. 5-point Likert scale questionnaires have been designed and respondents were asked to indicate

Abstract

their level of agreement with a given statement. The data collected from the respondents both local residents as well as tourists was then tabulated and entered in spread sheets and by using SPSS software, Microsoft Excel Package then graphs and figures were designed.

In view of problems, objectives and methodological principals the present work has been organized into eight chapters excluding introduction and conclusion. Introductory part deals with the work review done so far, significance of the study, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, database and methodological principles.

Second chapter presents an account of the geographical personality of Kashmir consisting of physical, cultural, socio-economic and environment aspects of the region. It is assumed that these attributes directly or indirectly affect the diversification of tourism industry in the region.

Third chapter explains various determinants of tourism development in Kashmir including physical, cultural, social and historical. It also highlights the tourism motivation dynamics and socio-economic setup of tourists both domestic as well as foreign who visit Kashmir. Besides this, it also throws light on the satisfaction level of tourists regarding the various tourism products and services available in the region.

Fourth chapter analyses the existing problems and prospects of tourism industry in Kashmir. In this chapter, attempt has been made to examine and assess the major problems that hindered the growth of tourism industry in Kashmir. It also shows that how political instability and insurgency has affected the tourist flow in the region. Besides this, it also highlights the various opportunities of tourism, if utilized and managed properly will not only increase the growth of tourism but also benefit Maulanaeconomically Azad to the people Library, engaged with Aligarh tourism sector. Muslim University Fifth chapter deals with the identification of potential areas for future development of tourism in Kashmir. In this chapter, attempt has been made to highlight the various unexplored areas of Kashmir which have a huge potential of tourism but still are not brought under the map of tourism by the government. The study shows that the

Abstract

identification and delineation of these untapped tourist potential regions in Kashmir will help in reducing the increasing tourist pressure on the already developed destinations. It will not only support to explore the different kinds of tourist attractions but would also guide to develop basic tourist infrastructure, help in proper advertising of the tourist product, managing of tourist flow, optimization of financial returns and organization of the environmental health of the destination for sustainable tourism development in the region.

Sixth chapter deals with the spatio-temporal analysis of tourism development in Kashmir. In this chapter, attempt has been made to examine and assess the various developments in terms of infrastructure, employment, income and handcrafts generated by the tourism industry in Kashmir. It also shows the seasonal, annual and decadal variation of tourist flow. Besides this, it also throws light on the country-wise arrival of tourists to Kashmir.

Seven chapter deals with the impact of tourism on socio-economic development in Kashmir. In this chapter, attempt has been made to examine the behavior of host community towards the impact of tourism on the socio-economic development. It also highlights the existing socio-economic setup of host population who were engaged with the tourism business at the selected tourist destinations of Kashmir.

Eighth chapter deals with the diagnostic planning for sustainable tourism development in Kashmir. In this chapter, attempt has been made to examine and assess the new strategies, programmes, policies and suggestions for sustainable development through the tourism industry. Strategies and suggested opinions have been discussed to come out from low tourist flow to high tourist arrivals in and maintain the sustainable ecology in the Valley of Kashmir.

Last part presents the summary, conclusion and suggestions to attain the sustainable tourism development in the region.

After the overall assessment of the doctoral thesis entitles Problems and MaulanaProspects of Azad Tourism IndustryLibrary, in Kashmir, Aligarh it has been observed Muslim that tourism University industry is the lifeline of Kashmir. It opens up a new window for resources, both investment and revenue generation leading to employment creation as well as the socio-economic development of the local population. It will continue to be a significant contributor in future also because of the changes taking place on both demand and supply sides. It

Abstract

would be possible only if the conflict situation in the region will remain normal and the tourist influx increases in the desired manner. In addition to it, the organisations mainly responsible for the development of tourism like, Directorate of Tourism (J&K) and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) are able to beautify and maintain the existing tourist sites by facilitating better and affordable facilities to the tourists in the form of better infrastructure, better sanitary conditions, decent entertainment opportunities and proper security measures which are presently lacking. The study shows that although this industry has registered an all-round significant development but after the birth of political turmoil in the region, this sector has not flourished as expected. Most of the potential, for its growth has not yet been exploited and much more is left to be undertaken for retaining, maintaining and sustaining it. Thus the limited and rather unsatisfactory growth of tourism industry in Kashmir is mostly because of conflicting environment prevailing in the region. In addition to it, there are also some other factors which have limited the growth of tourism in Kashmir such as inadequate airline capacity particularly during the peak tourist season, bad conditions of airport, lack of hygienic and comfortable accommodation for the tourists, limited tourist destinations, lack of railway network in the region, bad condition of roads, absence of an up to date information systems to the tourists outside the state, seasonality of tourism and lack of an integrated tourism policy in the state. In the interaction with the local stake holders as well as with the tourists during the field survey, the total exercise found to be very satisfying as far as the socio-economic impact of tourism is concerned in the study region. The views of the majority of respondents were positive on almost all the statements except few which indicates a negative impact of tourism development on the society.

After the assessment, it has been found that Kashmir Valley, despite being the heart of tourism potential is ridden with innumerable problems and weaknesses, which if attended and soughed out properly could regain its glory and splendor. Therefore the following measures should be adopted which may prove helpful and fruitful to promote Maulanaand boost the Azad tourism sector Library, of Kashmir. Aligarh Muslim University  The first and the foremost thing in this regard would be to have a well-documented tourism policy because Jammu and Kashmir does not have a tourism policy which should give equal rights to all the stake holders involved in tourism-related activities.

Abstract

Moreover, the tourism policy should be with a a clear-cut action plan for its sustainability.  Development of a strong network among government and various agencies, tourism industry, tourist groups, host communities, etc which would work towards re- marketing Kashmir tourism on a modern basis.  The infrastructure development in Kashmir with regard to tourism is not satisfactory especially during the peak tourist seasons. Therefore, the existing accommodation facility needs to be improved to the international standard to meet the requirements of tourists.  There is need to provide better and comfortable approaches to the various tourist places in the area, especially off-beat destinations. Besides this, there should be an alternative road link that could have connected Kashmir with the rest of the country and could reduce the distance between them.  There are several tourist spots in Kashmir especially in the high altitudinal mountainous which have much more tourism potential than present tourist attractions. But so far they have not been explored and utilized fully, provided with all the infrastructural facilities. Thus the identification and delineation of these untapped tourist potential regions is need of the hour which would help in reducing ever increasing tourist pressure on the already developed tourist destinations and will act as a magnet to attract maximum tourists.  There are only few peak tourist months in Kashmir that too in summer season. This has led to wastage of resources. In order to overcome this problem government should take appropriate steps for organizing winter sports at Sonmarg and Phalgam on the pattern of Gulmarg. This would help to attract tourist from different corners of the world.  The maximum adventure tourism resources are virgin in Kashmir valley; their exploitation could not only meet the demand of foreign tourists but also bring economic development and generate employment opportunities in the region. MaulanaTherefore, Azad it is very Library, important to give Aligarh special attention Muslim towards the development University and promotion of adventure tourism in Kashmir.  The tourism industry in Kashmir is male-dominated. There is virtually no participation of women in the tourism business in the region. Therefore, in order to improve and encourage the participation of women in the tourism industry in

Abstract

Kashmir, Government of Jammu and Kashmir should consider special incentives in financial aids and loans for those enterprises developed in the tourist industry which have majority partnership involving women.  The pilgrimage tourism in Kashmir has remained restricted to the annual Amarnath Yatra. Apart from the famous pilgrimage site of Amarnath Cave, there is an abundance of other sacred pilgrimage sites located at different places, which are not still exploited. Therefore, the need of the hour is to pay more attention towards the abundant religious sites for the promotion of religious tourism that would help in attracting more pilgrimage tourist.  There are several lakes like Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Anchar Lake and Manasbal Lake which are famous for tourist attraction. But these lakes have been the victim of environment degradation and are fast deteriorating. Therefore government should take appropriate steps for the removal of encroachment from these lakes. Moreover, house boat owners must be forced to adopt safer and special methods of sanitation to prevent water from pollution and the deweeding of lakes must be regular affairs.  The publicity for the promotion of tourism activities in the Kashmir must be improved and maintained in order to attract the tourists from far wide. Therefore proper dissemination of information to the people outside the state is very important. This can be done by advertising the tourism potential of Kashmir through the channels of media, national newspapers, T.V and Radio, internet etc. which may help in boosting the tourism sector of Kashmir.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

CONTENTS Title Name Page No. Acknowledgement i List of Tables ii-iv List of Figures v-vi List of Photo plates vii List of Abbreviations viii

INTRODUCTION 1-20  Work Review Done So Far  Significance of the Study  Objectives of the Study  Research Hypothesis  Data Base and Methodology  Organization of the work

CHAPTER-1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 21-46

1.1 Concept of Tourism 1.2 Forms of Tourism 1.3 Types of Tourism 1.4 Approaches of Tourism 1.5 Products of Tourism 1.6 Impacts of Tourism 1.6.1 Positive Effects of Tourism on the Environment 1.6.2 Negative Effects of Tourism on the Environment 1.7 Historical Development of Tourism

CHAPTER-2 SYNOPTIC VIEW OF KASHMIR 47-90

2.1 General Setting 2.2 Historical Setting Maulana2.3 Physical Azad Setting Library, Aligarh Muslim University 2.3.1 Geology and Stratigraphy 2.3.2 Drainage System 2.3.3 Climate 2.3.4 Seasons

2.3.5 Flora and Fauna 2.3.6 Soils 2.4 Demographic Setting 2.4.1 Growth of Population 2.4.2 Distribution of Population 2.4.3 Population Density 2.4.4 Sex Ratio 2.4.5 Literacy Rate 2.4.6 Occupational Structure 2.5 Socio-economic Setting 2.5.1 Major Ethnic Groups 2.5.2 Cultural and Tradition 2.5.3 Religion 2.5.4 Agriculture 2.5.5 Horticulture 2.5.6 Handicraft 2.5.7 Tourism 2.5.8 Fisheries 2.5.9 Transport and Communication

CHAPTER-3 DETERMINANTS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KASHMIR 91-140

3.1 Physical Determinants 3.2 Historical Determinants 3.3 Ecological Determinants 3.4 Religious Determinants 3.5 Heritage Determinants 3.6 Socio-economic Set up of Sampled Tourists 3.7 Travel Characteristics of Sampled Tourists Maulana3.8 Assessment Azad of Tourists Library, Perception on AligarhVarious Attributes Muslim of Tourism University Development 3.8.1 Social Attribute of Tourism Development 3.8.2 Cultural Attributes of Tourism Development 3.8.3 Environmental Parameters of Tourism Development

CHAPTER-4 PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF TOURISM INDUSTRY IN KASHMIR 141-164

4.1 Problems of Tourism industry in Kashmir 4.1.1 Militancy in the region 4.1.2 Problems of Tourism Infrastructure 4.1.3 Lack of Proper Management and Utilization of Tourist Spots 4.1.4 Lack of Proper Marketing of Tourism Products 4.1.5 Seasonality of Tourism 4.1.6 Lack of Proper Healthcare facilities at Tourist Destinations 4.1.7 Lack of Financial Support to Entrepreneurs 4.1.8 Lack of Trained Tourist Guides 4.1.9 Lack of Proper Co-ordination 4.1.10 Safety and Security 4.1.11 Lack of Perspective Plans and Sustainability in Tourism 4.2 Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir 4.2.1 Adventure Tourism 4.2.2 Eco-tourism 4.2.3 Pilgrimage Tourism 4.2.4 Wildlife Tourism 4.2.5 Rural Tourism 4.2.6 Wetland Tourism

CHAPTER-5 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL AREAS FOR BALANCED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KASHMIR 165-191

5.1 Basis of Identification of Tourism Potential Regions 5.2 Tourism Potential of Kashmir 5.2.1 Potential of Natural Tourism 5.2.1.1 Landscape Evaluation Maulana5.2.1.2 Azad Landform Library, Evaluation Aligarh Muslim University 5.2.2 Potential of Cultural Tourism 5.3 Basic Requirements of Tourist Destination Development 5.3.1 Accessibility 5.3.2 Accommodation

5.3.3 Attractions 5.3.4 Amenities 5.3.5 Activities 5.3.6 Affordability

CHAPTER-6 SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KASHMIR 192-222

6.1 Growth rate of Tourist Traffic to Kashmir 6.2 Seasonal Variation in Tourist Traffic in Kashmir 6.3 Monthly Variation of Tourist Flow in Kashmir 6.4 Country-wise Variation in Tourist Arrival in Kashmir 6.5 Spatial Dimensions of Tourism Development 6.5.1 Income and Revenue generation through Tourism Industry 6.5.2 Employment generation by Tourism Industry 6.5.3 Infrastructure Development through Tourism 6.5.4 Growth of Accommodation Facility in relation to Tourism Development 6.5.5 Growth of Handicrafts Sector in relation to Tourism Development

CHAPTER-7 IMPACT OF TOURISM ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN KASHMIR 223-240

7.1 Socio-economic set up of Local Respondents 7.1.1 Age Profile of Local Respondents 7.1.2 Sex Profile of Local Respondents 7.1.3 Education Status of Local Respondents 7.1.4 Occupational Structure of Local Respondents 7.1.5 Income Structure of Local Respondents 7.2 Impact of Tourism on Socio-cultural Development 7.2.1 Socio-cultural Indicators of Tourism Development 7.2.2 Residents Perception towards the Socio-cultural Impact of Tourism MaulanaDevelopment Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University 7.3 Impact of Tourism on Economic Development 7.3.1 Economic Indicators of Tourism Development 7.3.2 Residents Perception towards the Economic Impact of Tourism Development

CHAPTER-8 DIAGNOSTIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KASHMIR 241-274

8.1 Planning and Management of Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir 8.1.1 Enhancing Carrying Capacity of Existing Tourist Destinations 8.1.2 Strategic Model for the Development and Promotion of Adventure Tourism 8.1.3 Promotion and Development of Wetland Tourism 8.1.3.1 Problems of Wetland Ecosystem in Kashmir 8.1.3.2 Sustainable Management of Wetlands in Kashmir 8.1.4 Development of Major Tourist Nodes and Circuits 8.1.5 Development and Promotion of Religious Tourism

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 275-286 BIBLIOGRAPHY 287-300 GLOSSORY 301-302 LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 303

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

LIST OF TABLES

Table Description Page No. No. 2.1 Administrative Divisions of Kashmir (2011) 49 2.2 District-wise Percentage of Forest Area to the total Area in Kashmir 60 (2011) 2.3 Decadal Growth of Population in Kashmir (1901-2011) 6 7 2.4 District-wise Population and Decadal Growth in Kashmir (2001-2011) 68 2.5 District-wise Classification of Population by Male and Female (2011) 6 9 2.6 District-wise Classification of Population by Rural and Urban (2011) 70 2.7 District-wise Density of Population in Kashmir (2011) 71 2.8 District-wise Distribution of Sex Ratio of Kashmir (2011) 7 3 2.9 District-wise Percentage of Literate Population in Kashmir (2011) 74 2.10 District-wise Economic Classification of Population in Percentage in 76 Kashmir (2011) 2.11 District-wise Classification of Total Workers in different Categories of 77 Economic Activity (2011) 2.12 Details of Area, Production and Yield of Food Products in Kashmir 83 2.13 District-wise Area under Various Fruits Crops in Kashmir (2013-2014) 84 2.14 Year-wise Production, Employment and Export of Handicraft Industry 84 in Kashmir (2004-05 to 2014-15) 2.15 Year-wise Production of various types of Fishes in Kashmir 87 3.1 Nationality and Sex Profile of Sampled Tourists 117 3.2 Age Profile of Surveyed Tourists 119 3.3 Education Profile of Surveyed Tourists 120 3.4 Occupational Structure of Surveyed Tourists 121 3.5 Income Status of Surveyed Tourists 123 3.6 Source of Information about visiting Kashmir 124 3.7 Sampled Tourists Preference of Accommodation during Visit 125 3.8 Prime Motivating Factors of Tourists to Visit Kashmir 127 3.9 Frequency of Sampled Tourist Visits to Kashmir 128 Maulana3.10 Change AzadObserved byLibrary, the repeat Visitors Aligarh Muslim University129 3.11 Sampled Tourists Actual Stay and Proposed Stay of Visiting Kashmir 130 3.12 Views of Sampled Tourists regarding less than Actual Stay 131 3.13 Views of Surveyed Tourists about Safety and Security in Kashmir 132

3.14 Level of satisfaction of Sampled Tourists 134 3.15 Tourists Perception on Various Social Attributes of Tourism 135 Development (In Percentage) 3.16 Tourists Perception on Various Cultural Attributes of Tourism 137 Development (In Percentage) 3.17 Tourists Observation Regarding Various Environmental Attributes of 138 Tourism Development (In Percentage) 4.1 Year-wise Flow of Tourists to the Kashmir Valley (1980-2015) 143 4.2 Year-wise Growth rate of Foreign Exchange Earnings through Tourism 147 (1987-2000) 5.1 Scores of Composite Index for Tourism Potential 166 6.1 Year-wise Growth rate of Domestic and Foreign Tourists in Kashmir 194 (1980 to 2015) 6.2 Seasonal Variation of Tourist Flow in Kashmir Valley (2012-2015) 196 6.3 Monthly Variation of Tourist Flow in Kashmir Valley (2012-2015) 199 6.4 Country-wise and Month-wise Breakup of the Foreign Tourists Visited 202 Kashmir in 2013 6.5 Revenue generations (in lakhs) by various Tourism Development 204 Authorities in Kashmir (2006-12) 6.6 Employment Generation through Tourism in Kashmir 206 6.7 Growth of Road Length (excluding National highway) in J&K (in Kms) 207 6.8 Public and Private Transport in Jammu and Kashmir (2009-2014) 208 6.9 Growth of Hotels in Kashmir (1982 to 2015) 209 6.10 Category-wise Distribution of all Accommodation in Kashmir (2015) 211 6.11 Category wise Distribution of Hotels and Guest Houses in Srinagar 212 (2015) 6.12 Category-wise distribution of Houseboats in Srinagar (2015) 213 6.13 Category-wise Distribution of Hotels and Guest Houses in Pahalgam 214 (2015) 6.14 Category-wise Distribution of Hotels and Guest Houses in Gulmarg 214 (2015) 6.15 Category-wise Distribution of Hotels and Guest Houses in Sonmarg 215 (2015) 6.16 Category-wise distribution of Hotels and guest houses in other resorts 215 (2015) 6.17 Growth of Houseboats and Persons Engaged in Kashmir 216 Maulana6.18 Growth Azadof Taxi Shikaras Library, and Persons Aligarh Engaged in Kashmir Muslim University217 6.19 Year-wise Production of Various Handicrafts Goods (2005 to 2016) 219 6.20 Year-wise Export of Various Handicrafts Goods (2005 to 2016) 219 7.1 Age-wise classification of local respondents 224 7.2 Sex-wise classification of local respondents 225

iii

7.3 Educational Status of local respondents 226 7.4 Occupational Structure of local respondents 227 7.5 Income structure of local respondents 228 7.6 Variables of Socio-cultural Impact of Tourism Development 230 7.7 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis: 4 Components 231 Extracted 7.8 Rotation Method; Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. 231 a. Rotation Converged in 7 iterations. 7.9 Factor-1 Social and Cultural Growth 232 7.10 Factor-2: Tourism and Infrastructural Development 233 7.11 Factor-3 Undesirable Social Impacts 233 7.12 Factor-4 Environment Development 234 7.13 Variables of Economic Impact of Tourism Development 235 7.14 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis: 5 Components 236 Extracted 7.15 Rotation Method; Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. 236 a. Rotation converged in 6 iterations. 7.16 Factor 1- Tourism and Community Benefits 237 7.17 Factor-2 Tourism and Price Inflation of Goods and Services 237 7.18 Factor-3 Tourism and Employment 238 7.19 Factor-4 Tourism and New Business Opportunity 238 7.35 Factor-5 Tourism and Tax Revenues 239 8.1 Destination Wise Carrying Capacity Analysis of Kashmir 244 8.2 Year-wise No. of Pilgrimage Tourists to Amarnath Cave (1991-2014) 269

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Description Page No. No. 0.1 5-point Likert Scale 15 1.1 Flow Chart: Positive Effects of Tourism 32 1.2 Flow Chart: Negative Effects of Tourism 33 2.1 Kashmir Valley (Administrative Divisions) 48 2.2 Drainage Map of Kashmir 55 2.3 District-Wise Percentage of Forest Area (2011-12) 60 2.4 Distribution of Soils in Kashmir Valley 66 2.5 Decadal Growth of Population (1901-2011) 67 2.6 District-wise Decadal Growth of Population (2001-2011) 68 2.7 District-wise Classification of Population in Kashmir (2011) 70 2.8 District-wise Density of Population in Kashmir (2011) 72 2.9 District-wise Sex Ratio of Population in Kashmir (2011) 73 2.10 District-wise Literacy Rate of Population in Kashmir (2011) 75 2.11 District-wise Occupational Structure of Population in Kashmir (2011) 77 2.12 District-wise Classification of Total Workers in Kashmir (2011) 78 3.1 Nationality-wise Classification of Sampled Tourists (In Percentage) 117 3.2 Sex-wise Classification of Sampled Tourists (In Percentage) 118 3.3 Age-wise Classification of Sampled Tourists 119 3.4 Educational Status of Surveyed Tourists 120 3.5 Occupational Structure of Sampled Tourists 122 3.6 Income Status of Surveyed Tourists 123 3.7 Source of Information about visiting Kashmir 124 3.8 Preference of Accommodation of Sampled Tourists 125 3.9 Purpose of Visit of Sampled Tourists 127 3.10 Frequency of Sampled Tourists Visit to Kashmir 128 Maulana3.11 Changes Azad Observed Library, by the repeated Aligarh Visitors Muslim University129 3.12 Sampled Tourists Proposed Stay and Actual Stay (In Days) 130 3.13 Factors Responsible For Less Than Actual Stay 131 4.1 Percentage Share of Domestic and Foreign Tourists to the Kashmir 144 Valley (1980-2015)

4.2 Year-wise Growth rate of Foreign Exchange Earnings through 147 Tourism (1987-2000) 5.1 Tourism Potential of Kashmir (Based on Landscape, Landform and 167 Cultural Factors 5.2 Tourism Potential of Kashmir (Based on Landscape Evaluation) 168 5.3 Tourism Potential of Kashmir (Based on Landform Evaluation) 178 5.4 Tourism Potential of Kashmir (Based on Cultural Factors) 184 5.5 Basic Requirements of Tourist Destination Development 188 6.1 Growth rate of Tourist Flow in Kashmir (1980-2015) 195 6.2 Seasonal Variation of Tourist Flow in Kashmir (2012-2015) 198 6.3 Variation of Tourists in Different Months in Kashmir (2011-2015) 200 6.4 Percent Share of Tourists in Different Months in Kashmir (2011- 200 2015) 6.5 Country-wise Percent Share of Tourists in Kashmir Valley (2013) 203 6.6 Year-wise Growth of Hotels in Kashmir (1982 to 2015) 209 6.7 Category-wise Distribution of Accommodation in Kashmir 211 6.8 Destination-wise Distribution of Accommodation in Kashmir 212 6.9 Category-wise Houseboats in Srinagar 213 6.10 Year wise Growth of Houseboats and Persons Engaged 217 (1975-76 to 2015-16) 6.11 Year wise Growth of Shikaras and Persons Engaged (1975-76 to 2015- 218 16) 6.12 Year-wise Production & Export of Various Handicraft Goods 219 (2005-06 to 2015-16) 7.1 Age Wise Classification of Local Respondents 224 7.2 Sex Wise Classification of Local Respondents 225 7.3 Education Profile of Local Respondents 226 7.4 Income Status of Local Respondents 228 8.1 Strategic Model for the Development and Promotion of Adventure 347 Tourism in Kashmir 8.2 Distribution of Major Wetlands in Kashmir 249 8.3 Problems of Wetland Ecosystems in Kashmir 250 Maulana8.4 Sustainable Azad Management Library, of Wetland Aligarh Ecosystems in MuslimKashmir University256 8.5 Kashmir Valley Tourist Circuits 267 8.6 Proposed Model for Sustainable Development of Religious Tourism 272 in Kashmir

LIST OF PHOTO PLATES

Plate Description Page No. No. 1. Gurez Valley 93 2. Lidder Valley 93 3. Betaab Valley 93 4. Gulmarg Meadow 96 5. Sonmarg Meadow 96 6. Yousmarg Meadow 96 7. Dal Lake 100 8. Nigeen Lake 100 9. Manasbal Lake 100 10. Nishat Garden 106 11. Shalimar Garden 106 12. Chashme Shahi Garden 106 13. Harwan Garden 107 14. Achabal Garden 107 15. Tulip Garden 107 16. Hazratbal Shrine 112 17. Baba Reshi Shrine 112 18. Amarnath Cave 112 19. Kheerbawani Temple 112 20. Water Rafting in Lidder River 157 21. Skiing at Gulmarg 157 22. Trekking at Chandanwari Pahalgam 157 23. Rock Climbing at Sonmarg 157 24. Excessive Eutrophication in Wular Lake 251 25. Excessive Weed Infection in Anchar Lake 252 Maulana26. AzadEncroachment Library, in Hokarsar Aligarh Lake Muslim University253 27. Local Garbage and Wastes Damping in Manasbal Lake 254 and Anchar Lake

vii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

BTO Basic Tourism Products EDI Entrepreneurship Development Institute GDP Gross Domestic Product GOI Government of India GSDP Gross State Domestic Product GSI Geological Survey of India GSTC Global Sustainable Tourism Council GSTC Global Sustainable Tourism Council ICH Intangible Cultural Heritage IWAI Inland Waterways Authority of India JKTDC Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation LAWDA Lakes and Waterways Development Authority LBDDA Lolab Bangus Drangyari Development Authority LOC Line of Control MICE Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions NGO Non Government Organization NTA National Tour Association NWDA North West Development Agency ROP Resident Oriented Product SKICC Sher-e- Kashmir International Convention Centre SKIMS Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical sciences STCI Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India TDA Tourism Development Authority TDC. Tourism Development Corporation TOP Tourist Oriented Products UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organisation MaulanaWEF AzadWorld Economic Library, Forum Aligarh Muslim University WTTC World Travel and Tourism Council

viii

Introduction

Since the dawn of human civilization, people have always been on the move to new ways for sustaining their livelihood. In this process, they discovered new areas to settle down. In the subsequent periods, the emergence of empire gave impetus to travel for social, political, religious and business which greatly enlarged the dimension of travel in the past. Travelling during those times was quite difficult because of the antiquated transport facilities and lack of safety and comfort in route. Time and cost were the other major basic constraints. However, the incredible progress in the field of industries and other productive activities directly led to greater economic and social progress, longer leisure times and increasingly cheaper and diverse tourist facilities. The spread of education has created cultural awareness and has stimulated a desire to travel. The substantial increase in workers purchasing power and disposable income for travel were two important factors which helped the growth of pleasure zones. This period turned most people away from basic agriculture into the urban way of life; as a result, there was a rapid growth of the wealth and education level of middle class, as well as an increase of leisure time and a demand for holiday tourism activities. During this, period social and technological changes created an immense impact on tourism, great advances in science and technology made possible the invention of rapid, safe and relatively cheap forms of transport and communication. Travel to even remote areas has now become reality. The technological developments have now made it possible for an increasing number of people to travel to faraway places which only a few decades ago were regarded as being almost inaccessible. The basic human thirst for new experience and knowledge has become stronger, as communication barriers are getting overcome by technological advances. The progress in transport and development of tourist facilities encouraged people to venture out to the foreign lands. (Zulfikar, 1998). Thus the progress achieved led extensively to the development of modern tourism by considerably minimizing the time and space.

The Annals of tourism literature bear witness to the fact that the origin of word „Tour‟ dates back to the year 1292 A.D and is derived from the Latin word „tornare‟ and Maulanathe Greek wordAzad „tornos Library,‟ which means „Aligarha lathe or circle‟ Muslim that signifies University the movement around a central point or axis. Therefore, like a circle, a tour represents a journey or a round trip that is the act of leaving and then returning to the original starting point. One who takes such a journey can be called a tourist. In the first half of 17th century, this term was first used for travelling from one place to another place like an excursion or a

Introduction

circuitous journey touching the principal parts of a country or a region. The 19th century dictionary defines tourist as “a person who travels for the pleasure of travelling out of curiosity and because he has nothing better to do and even for the joy of boosting about it afterwards” (Misra and Sadual, 2008). However, the tourism in the present time has become increasingly significant and organised (industry), because of more and more disposable income of people, higher tendency to change society‟s expenses and changing social traditions and customs due to various reasons. Along with the evolution and development of tourism, its definition has also been formalised over the years and in the present parlance a visitor is considered to be a traveller taking a tour to a main destination outside his or her usual environment, for not more than a year, for any main purpose (leisure, business or other personal purpose) other than to be employed by a resident entity in the country or place visited. A visitor (domestic, inbound or outbound) is classified as a tourist (or overnight visitor), if his or her journey includes an overnight stay or as a visitor of the same day (or excursionist). A traveller, on the other hand, is someone who travels between different geographic locations for any purpose and any period. The visitor is a particular type of traveller and consequently, tourism is a subset of travel. However, tourism refers to all activities of visitors, including both tourists (over night visitors) and same day visitors. In a general way, tourism can be defined as the temporary movement of the people to destinations away from their place or normal habitat, the activities entered upon during their stay in that destination and the facilities developed to provide their needs. However, on 4th March 1993, the international organization responsible for tourism, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) gave a modern definition of tourism. According to WTO „tourism is defined as the activities of persons travelling to and staying in place outside their usual environment for more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity compensated from within the place visited‟ (Stephen, (2007).

Recently, tourism has acquired a tremendous economic importance and is viewed as a promising avenue for socio-economic development throughout the globe. It is the Maulanaworld‟s largest andAzad fastest growingLibrary, industry Aligarhin its range and Muslimdimension and hasUniversity become an important economic sector in many developing and least developed countries (UNCTAD Report, 2007). It involves no erection of factories and earns a large sum of foreign exchange without exporting any tangible product (Mohanty, P. 1932). It makes an unquestionable contribution to local economies, job creation and sustainable development

Introduction

and plays a key role in the transformation to Green Economy. With it's backward and forward relationships with other sectors of the economy, like transport, handicrafts, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture, etc., tourism has the potential to not only be the economy driver but also become an effective tool for poverty alleviation and ensuring growth with equity (Rajeswari, 2005). Besides providing employment to a large chunk of the population, tourism can be the instrument of regional policy and at achieving an equitable balance between major industrial areas. It enables the wealth earned from one part of the region to be transferred to another (Chand, M. 2000). Thus, it is an important means of promoting cultural exchange and international co-operation. According to World Economic Forum (WEF) competitiveness study on tourism and travel (2012), tourism sector creates most new jobs in developing countries. It is providing many prospects for promoting pro-poor growth as compared to many other sectors. According to Choi and Sirakaya (2006), tourism can play a significant role in developing economies in terms of poverty reduction through economic development, especially in developing economies. Further, it is recognized as an “instrument of world peace” (Pattullo, 2006) and facilitates all over the development of societies.

Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and deepening diversification to become one of the world‟s largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world (Nengroo and Bhat, 2015). Despite continuous geopolitical, economic and health challenges in many parts of the world, this sector has shown virtually continuous growth (Yousuf, 2016). In 2014, the tourism industry generated US$ 1.5 trillion (9% of global GDP) and 27.7 crore jobs which is 8.7 % of total employment for the global economy. According to the latest estimates at present, 1 in every 11 people worldwide is employed by the tourism sector. In the year 2014 international tourist arrivals have increased by 4.3% worldwide and marked 1133 million from 1087 million in 2013 and 1 billion in 2012. The United States recorded the fastest growth with an 8% increase in international arrivals to reach 181 million in 2014 which was 13 million more than in 2013. It was followed by Asia and Pacific region and the MaulanaMiddle East Azadboth saw an Library, increase of 5%. AligarhThe Asia and Pacific Muslim region attracted University 14 million more tourists taking the regional total to 263 million arrivals while as the Middle East received 3 million more international visitors than in 2013 taking the total to an estimated 51 million. In Europe international tourist arrivals increased by 3% thereby received 15 million more international visitors in 2014 taking the total number to 582 million. While

Introduction

in Africa the figure for international tourist arrival was increased by 2% equivalent to an increase of 1 million arrivals to reach a total of 56 million tourists. In the year 2014, international tourism receipts was increased by 3.7% and reached US$ 1245 billion (US$ 1.5 trillion) from US$ 1197 billion in 2013, (UNWTO, 2015) thus making the industry the world's number one export earner ahead of the automotive, petroleum, chemical and food industry (Biju, 2003).

In India tourism industry plays a significant contribution to national integration and preservation of natural as well as cultural environments and enrichment of the social and cultural lives of people. This sector has now become an important industry in India which is witnessing a period of exponential growth (Kour, 2014). This industry contributed around INR 764.25 billion, which is 6.7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, and was expected to rise by 7.5% in 2015 and to rise by 7.3% to INR 16,58.72 billion (7.6% of GDP) by the year 2025. It also provides employment to about 3.66 crore people in 2014 which were constituting 8.7% of total employment of country and is expected to generate a total of about 58 million jobs by the year 2020. Travel and tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for India. In 2014, the country managed foreign exchange earnings of USD 19.7 billion from tourism (WTTC, 2015). According to India tourism statistics 2014, India ranks the 11th largest tourist inflow in the Asia-Pacific region and the 42nd worldwide (India Tourism Statistics, 2014).

However, in the State of Jammu and of Kashmir, tourism is one of the State‟s major industries and holds a strategic position in the socio-economic development. It is the most vibrant tertiary activity and a multi-billion dollar industry that is considered the right vehicle for developing the socio-economic status of Jammu and Kashmir (Bhat, 2014). This sector provides various socio-economic benefits to the people like employment, foreign exchange, infrastructure development and development of local industries like handicrafts and handlooms etc which has placed Jammu and Kashmir always in the limelight at the national as well as international level (Lone and Rather, Maulana2013). It is estimated Azad that almostLibrary, 50-60% of Aligarh total population Muslim of Jammu and UniversityKashmir is directly or indirectly engaged in tourism-related activities. This sector contributes about 15% to State Gross Domestic Product (Digest Statistics, 2014).

Kashmir Valley which is one of the three meso regions of Jammu and Kashmir state has been a centre of attention for different people for different reasons all over the

Introduction

world. It is blessed with a varied topography that is an unusual mix of snow clad mountains, green meadows, lush green forests, lakes, torrential rivers, waterfalls, pilgrimage sites and historical Gardens. It is said to be a treasure house of geological information due to the diversity of its geographical features (Khaki, and Nengroo, 2016). It represents century‟s old heritage of culture, religion, language, traditions, architecture and art forms. All these provide immense potential for developing a fabulous variety of tourist attractions. Overall the photographic and verbal stimuli in promotions amplify the geography, nature, culture, life and historical importance of the place. Moreover, the tourist brochures assure world-class hotel facilities, transportation, communication and site-seeing arrangements (Khan, 2013). However, because of multitude factors like the political uprising in the region, lack of interest of Government and other authorities, lack of required technology and funds, unawareness of tourists and to some extent isolation of the region, this vast potential is still shrouded behind the scene. Thus, besides few tourist destinations like Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Songmarg and Pahalgam, rest of the huge potential of Kashmir tourism remains untapped (Shah, et.al 2013).

Work Review Done So Far

There is no doubt that tourism has a major effect on the economies of destination areas. The tourism research encompasses several fields of specialization viz; economics, geography, regional planning, ecology and so on. However, the essential aim of all the research has to examine the tourist industry from various points of view. The objective of the research was characteristically different, consists of resource evaluation and organization, flow analysis, socio-economic impact, environment consciousness and finally the substantially and management of tourism. Subsequently in the 20th century, the stress of research was mainly to highlight the tourism potential of various areas, so that the tourist may be attracted in large number, subsequently, the focus of attention has got the shift to measuring the economic gains of tourism. Thus, an attempt has been made in the present study to review some of the important works to contextualize the viewpoints of different scholars used in various studies of tourism at both national level as well as Maulanainternational Azad level. Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Ummat (1979) analysed the growth of tourism in India since the fifties when the efforts were first made to encourage its growth. He argued that it is very important that India should set up efforts such as air transport facility should be increased, hotel facilities should be enhanced, and tourism must be promoted more efficiently so that it

Introduction

can help in promoting the invisible foreign earnings which come from tourism. The study also touches upon the economic benefits especially employment that can be derived from tourism. Roger and Long (1982) mentioned that tourism has often been supported by government agencies on the basis, that it is capable of generating incomes and jobs in areas where there is a shortage of both with special reference to Britain. They reviewed the nature of the jobs created by tourism and assess people attitudes to such jobs in an attempt to suggest how tourism compares with other activities in generating employment. Travis (1982) claimed that growth of tourism management may be related to the claims of tourist industry as a pressure group and the lack of adequate academic attention to the economic disbenefits and the environmental and socio-cultural costs-benefits of tourism. This article sets out to restore the balance by proposing a social theory base for tourism. Fletcher (1984) gave an idea that quality of tourism product can be enhanced by positive cultural approach and awareness in the community and gives it a unique identity in the market place. He suggests that quality leadership groups are to be identified and suitable methodologies to be formulated with collaboration of tour administrators, so that positive approach and awareness programmes can be organised while as in the same year Farnham concerned with the thought of culture shock in relation to immigration, tourists etc and analysed the silent features arising from it. He is concerned with the effect of tourism on the host population and argued that many of the concepts found in the mental health, migration and sojourner adjustment literature are applicable to the study of tourism.

Karan and Mathar (1985) highlighted that impact of tourism on the environment in the Khumbu area of Nepal. They pointed out that tourism has brought accesses of environment disturbance to this formerly, remote and unspoiled region. Te hotel in this region build by Japanese firm has caused local pollution. Aeroplane landing in the nearby shyangboche airfield has devastated the fabulous silence of mountains, the trekking on yak contributed to the environmental degradation. Trekking caused serious environment damage to the land scenic sites and loss of local monuments like the „mani‟ wall along the trekking routes. Although the government has taken steps to conserve the environment in Maulanathis region but Azada lot needs Library, to be done. DouglasAligarh Pearce Muslim (1987) offered University a reasoned systematic approach and has demonstrated the ties between geography and the dynamics of tourism in his book „Tourism Today‟. He highlighted useful definitions and discussions in a context that includes points of origin, destinations, linkages and motivation for travel. This approach advances his mission of presenting comparative

Introduction

Universal understanding about patterns and process in tourism. Tourism today marks a significant contribution by assimilating important findings from a multitude of often disconnecting into a structure for a current geographical understanding and for future enquiry. Antonia Hussey (1989) highlighted the positive and negative impact of tourism on Kuta village of Indonesia. He analysed that the fishing village changed to a modern town with a large number of hotels increasing from 2 in 1970 to about 100 in 1975. The land prices and demography also changed drastically. The negative impacts being high traffic jams, pollution of the beach, increase in crime, drug use, the intrusion of other culture on the local one etc.

Hamley (1991) discussed the potential and hindrances in tourism development in the North Western parts of Canada. Although North West territories have a large tourism potential, but there are so many hindrances like unskilled labour, lack of facilities in major airports, high prices, poor transportation, low quality of hotels and lack of information facilities etc which becomes the main obstruction in the way of tourism development. He concluded that community-based tourism development should be encouraged with stress on tourism that is substantially owned and operated by northerners. Teye (1991) pointed out that tourism has the capability of contributing to greater understanding between two cultures through the genuine cultural tourism which promotes host guest experiences. He also mentioned that there are some of the obstacles that come in the way of Tourism development. He viewed that there is greater need to overcome these problems for the future prospects of tourism, which could promote greater understanding between North and South Cultures. Mak and White (1992) have discussed the development of international tourism in the Asia Pacific region. They mentioned that international tourism in this region has grown-up rapidly since the 1960s, primarily because of increased intraregional travel among Asia Pacific residents. They compared tourism development among major Asia Pacific countries, focusing especially on countries as receivers of tourists and tourism receipts and as generators of tourist travel. They conclude that tourism development in the Asia Pacific region will depend on Maulanacontinuous economicAzad growth Library, and the motivation Aligarh of governments Muslim to open their University countries to foreigners and to allow their own nationals to travel freely abroad. Towner and France (1992) examined the application of techniques of rapid rural appraisal (RRA) in fieldwork related to geographical studies of tourism. They concluded that rapid rural appraisal is a research methodology that is of particular value for studies of tourism in developing

Introduction

countries, where the quality and quantity of data is variable and often unreliable. Moreover, it is an approach that could be utilised in urban and developed world contexts. Abrahim Pizman (1994) has investigated the differential perception of residents, entrepreneurs and tourists towards the negative environmental impact of tourism on the Greek Island of Mykonos. He interviewed 115 residents, entrepreneurs and tourists in Hora, the capital of Mykonos during the beginning of the 1993 summer season. He observed gaps between tourists and other two groups in his study. Tourists considered both residents and entrepreneurs to be more responsible than themselves for the negative environmental impacts of tourism. No gap was found between residents and entrepreneurs responses. The most interesting findings were that the residents to be more responsible than anyone else for the creation of tourism‟s negative environmental impact.

Pandey et; al (1995) points out that tourism sector‟s contributions to the economy is very important and cannot be denied, but also figure out that tourism generates a host of unfavourable effects on the country‟s culture and environment. Tourism has created existing environmental problems and placed more pressure on the fragile economy and national resources. An erosion of local customs, an increase in drug abuse and theft of antiques and culture property compound these problems. Shakly (1996) describes that tourism Camel safari plays a major role in boosting the tourism in Thar Desert of Jaisalmer. Camel safari attracts visitors all over the globe towards Thar region of Rajasthan. This work gean generated significant profits for camel owners and safari operators. It also helps local community either to finance a large family or to buy more camels. This industry now controls the financial system of Jaisalmer but threatens its sustainability with worrying implications for employment and environment management. Abraham P. et.al (1999) investigates the impacts of tourism, as perceived by the residents of Pythagorean, a well-established tourist destination on the Greek island of Samos and identified a number of negative tourism impacts, including high prices, drug addiction, vandalism, brawls, sexual harassment and crimes. The study reconfirmed that those respondents who were economically dependent on tourism had more positive attitudes Maulanatowards the industry Azad than those Library, who were not Aligarhdependent on it. Muslim University Ratz (2000) shows that tourism has both negative and positive impacts and socio- economic impacts of tourism are stronger and more positive than socio-cultural impacts. It is due to monoculture structure of the local community. The economic dependency of the residents on tourism and the relatively small cultural difference between tourists and

Introduction

locals also are the reasons behind this. Though both residents and tourists observe congestion as a problem, the number of tourists has not exceeded the area‟s social and psychological capacity. Biju (2002) stressed on the major problems that the travel and tourists are facing. He highlighted that the major problems in tourism industry facing today are that the economists, social scientists, administrators and political leaders who influence government policies and decisions do not exactly know the enormous economic impact of tourism. He argued that tourism has expanded fast and in a revolutionary way. The old economic theories are useless so far as tourism is concerned. He concluded that tourism has become a comprehensive social science that needs a serious study and attention as it affects millions of human beings all over the globe. M.S Kohli (2002) in his paper has asserted that strict conservation of Himalayan region is no solution. It is necessary to develop this region by allowing the tourists, in order to improve the standard of living of the local people and to promote further growth of national economies of this region. The solution lies in carrying out all this in a new era of heightened cooperation without disturbing the ecosystem of Himalayas. Reinfeld (2003) evaluates Bhutan‟s tourism policy based upon three criteria: an opportunity for foreign exchange, space for Cultural Revolution and prevention of cultural pollution. While Bhutan has experienced some success in its synthesis of tradition and modernity, it is likely to face significant challenges‟ in the future. He provided six suggestions to strengthen Bhutan‟s tourism policy in light of its attempts to preserve its unique culture. Mitra and Chattopadhya (2004) have discussed the possibilities, prospects, constraints and sustainable development of nature-based tourism in Arunachal Pradesh. They tried to find out the potential for ecotourism development, both in terms of the number of visitors and economic. They attempted to determine the limits to be set in view of carrying capacity of the state, particularly with respect to environmental ecological aspects.

Khan, M. A. (2005) has highlighted all the silent features of tourism in historical perspective. He considered that tourism has emerged as a flourishing industry with bright prospects and in recent times, it has shown a phenomenal growth. This sector absorbs a Maulanavast section Azadof people and Library, engages them inAligarh different fields. Muslim Bonham, C, Edmonds.University C and Mak J (2006) examined the recent trends in travel and tourism in the U.S and Hawaii in 2006. They tried to find out how the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and subsequent terrible global events affected their tourism flows and peace of their recovery. They observed that tourism in the U.S has not fully recovered from 9/11 and other international shocks;

Introduction

indeed a revival of international travel to the U.S may be far away. They described that Hawaii tourism is enjoying strong growth with the outcome of 9/11 as growth in the tourist arrivals from the U.S mainland has more than offset declines in Japanese and other international visitors. In their study, they provide policy options for facilitating the recovery of international tourism to the U.S. Krishna, K and Mohinder, C (2007) described that tourism has got significant position in the global economy. It is a multi- segmented industry and offers better opportunities of socio-economic development to the people. This industry is the provider of elementary facilities to the tourists to meet their expectations and perceptions. He argued that despite economic benefits this sector is facing new challenges and hindrances, and tourism practitioners have been predicting st many more challenges in the 21 century. He suggested that there is an urgent need for serious thinking and to adopt new measures to deal with these challenges and to generate new avenues and opportunities of tourism. Alhasanat (2008) found that attitudes varied according to people‟s level of dependency on tourism and certain demographic variables. Interestingly, it was found that less educated people have a more positive perception of tourism than those who are more highly educated. Data analysis supports the evidence that there are positive socio-cultural impacts of tourism on the Petraians. It can also be said that the benefits of tourism at Petra far exceed any negative consequences. Obadic Alka (2009) describes the role of the tourism industry in generating female employment. They examined that tourism is a vast field and this work is more attractive to women and help them in creating decent employment. This sector provides woman with a position to balance work and family life. Their study reveals that women's work in the hospitality industry is deeply influenced by the legislative approaches and cultural differences in each country. They conclude that woman in the tourist industry have only limited access to middle and high-level managerial position in Italy, UK and Zadarska but this case is not found in Bulgaria.

Davuth Eng (2010) shows that tourism has benefitted Srah Srang Cheung village socio-economically. He urged that tourism has brought positive benefits to the destination Maulanalike employment Azad in the form Library, of new jobs and Aligarh part-time works, Muslim improved living University standard, women empowerment and promotion of local craft are other positive aspects in Angkor. In addition, tourism jobs do not obstruct children from going to school but the industry offers economic resources to support their education. However, tourism has resulted in some negative impacts too in the form of increased cost of living and inflation. Mishra et;

Introduction

al (2011) considered that tourism is capable of generating economic growth of the host country. He urged that India has an immense potential to the tourism sector that can improve overall economies and socio-cultural development. He concluded that it is essential that all government and non-government organisations should become active in the attempt to attain sustainable growth in tourism and the overall economy as well. Itoo, M. A (2011) has described that counterinsurgency or conflict environment has put a negative impact on the tourism industry of Kashmir. He argued that tourism which was on its peak in Kashmir now is suffering a lot due to the political turmoil. He viewed that turmoil in the State has created an obstacle in the way of growth and development of the tourism and had discouraged most of the travellers from visiting Kashmir. In addition to this, political turmoil not only affected tourism but also indirectly the economic activities related to tourism. Bano, F and Ashok (2012) describes that tourism has a vital role in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. They argued that Adventure tourism in the state is the main component of tourism and is the fastest growing segment which offers better job opportunity for the people of Kashmir. The main aim of this study was to highlight the unexplored adventure tourist destinations in Kashmir. They suggest various strategies and policies in order to broaden the base of tourist arrivals on one hand and sustained the growth on the other hand. P.M. Bandula Jayathilake (2013) viewed that tourism plays a key in promoting economic growth and development of Sri Lanka. The main motive of his study was to examine the function of international tourism in boosting the economic growth of Sri Lanka. His research uses a tri-variate model of the real gross domestic product, international tourist arrivals and real effective exchange rate to investigate the long - run and short-run dynamics of the relationship between tourism and economic growth. He finally concluded that there is urgent need of government interest in promoting and increasing international tourism demand to manage sustainable growth and development in the industry. Ahmad, N (2013) described that tourism always plays a crucial role in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and has undoubtedly contributing a lot in developing the economy, particularly in the valley of Kashmir. He argued that this sector Maulanaprovides jobs Azad to a large numberLibrary, of people Aligarhand generated economicMuslim activities University, especially in the tertiary sectors. He revealed that in the State of Jammu and Kashmir tourism creates a new window for resources, both investment and generation leading to employment generation as well as the socio-economic development of the local population. He suggested that there is an urgent need for proper planning and management of tourism sector for future prospects of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan, B. A (2013) described that

Introduction

tourism is considered an economic bonanza in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and is considered as multi-segmented sector which engages people in different sectors as hotel managers, receptionists, tourist guides, tour operators, travel agents etc. He argued that Kashmir valley has an immense tourism potential that can help in boosting great business opportunity for the people of Kashmir. He tried to analyse the problems and prospects of tourism in Kashmir in order to make proper planning and management for future tourism development in the Valley. Lihui W and Hayashi H (2014) have focused on the link between the natural disasters and the international tourism demand of Japan. The main purpose of their study was to examine the impact of natural disasters on international tourism demand for Japan by applying Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) intervention analysis, to improve the understanding of patterns and the duration of effects. This would thus apparently provide useful insights on policymaking relevant to the tourism industry.

Besides the above mentioned literature, there are several important research papers and studies that have been carried out by various institutions and organizations, which include the reports of common wealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (1978), Tata Economic Consulting Service (1982), Indian Institute of Public Opinion (1970), and Jammu and Kashmir Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organization (1987). In addition to this, the number of official handbook digests, like Digest of Tourism and Economics and Statistics have been consulted for studying and understanding the tourism.

Significance of the Study

In fact, tourism is interdisciplinary subject for the study by nature, each of its aspect being too complex and too complicated, and hence any amount of knowledge may still leave much quarter for further studies. As far as the tourism industry in Kashmir is concerned, it holds a strategic position in the socio-economic development in the region. Till 1989, tourism has been the major source of economic activity of people in Kashmir. However, it was hard hit following the outbreak of political turmoil and insurgency Maulanaduring the past Azad three decades. Library, This has affectedAligarh the economic Muslim stability University as well as employment opportunities of its people. Tourism sector which is considered as an economic bonanza of Kashmir has suffered badly and this is the sector that has unquestionably been the worst casualty of this continued political instability and social turbulence. Therefore, it is need of the hour to examine the main problems which became obstacles in way of tourism development in Kashmir. Thus it is essential to chalk out

Introduction

these constraints and provide new models and methods which may be helpful for the revival of the tourism sector in Kashmir which in turn will help the socio-economic development of local people.

So from this point of view, the importance of the present study lies in identifying and highlighting these potentials and problems in the field of tourism development. It especially aims towards finding answers to problems and shortcomings in the field of infrastructure development, quantity and quality of transport, accommodation, entertainment and recreation, training, marketing and publicity etc. The suggestions from the respondents both local as well as tourists incorporated herein would provide guidelines for a future course of action to be followed. The study on tourism in Kashmir may be equally important for all those interested in undertakings similar studies in the context of other regions and states because certain methods and approaches evolved and employed here by the researcher ought to be helpful and fruitful in carrying out further studies of a similar nature.

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the present study are: 1. To examine the determinants of tourism development in Kashmir 2. To examine and assess the existing problems and prospects of tourism in Kashmir. 3. To examine the impact of tourism on socio-economic development. 4. To analyze the spatio-temporal development of tourism in Kashmir. 5. To evaluate the impact of peace and disturbances on the growth of tourism sector. 6. To explore the potential sites for future development of tourism in Kashmir. 7. To suggest diagnostic planning for sustainable tourism development in Kashmir.

Research Hypothesis

The present study makes an attempt to test the following hypothesis: 1. Whether the growth and development of tourism in Kashmir has been the victim of insurgency and unrest prevalent in the region since 1989. Maulana2. Whether Azadthe huge potential Library, of tourism Aligarh still lies untapped Muslim and unutilized University in Kashmir. 3. Whether infrastructure facilities has been developed due to tourism in the region. 4. Whether the local people have been benefitted due to the tourism in the region. 5. Whether the tourists are satisfied with the current tourism resources of Kashmir.

Introduction

Database and Methodology

The methodological principals adopted for the study is based on primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data has been collected through structured questionnaires by conducting a field survey at major tourist destinations of Kashmir. While as the secondary sources of data has been collected from various government and non-government agencies such as Directorate of Tourism Kashmir, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) Srinagar, Year-wise Statistical Digests and Economic Survey Reports (2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15), Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Decadal Census Report, Census office, Srinagar and various published and unpublished data from various sources.

Sampling procedure

Keeping in view all the limitations, purposive random sampling technique has been adopted in the study and data has been collected from the 8 developed tourist destinations viz. Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Songmarg, Yousmarg, Manasbal, Verinag and Aharbal. From these 8 tourist destinations 600 local respondents (Category-I) who were directly or indirectly engaged with the tourism business have been surveyed and 500 tourists (Category-II) both domestic and foreign were also taken during the peak tourist season (June to August 2015 & 2016) to ensure more samples are available and the necessary information has been collected through an interview schedule from the respondents. However, the attempt has been made to examine and assess the behaviour of host community towards the impact of tourism on the socio-economic development considering 28 variables pertaining to 16 socio-cultural and 12 economic variables of the study area.

Methodology

To analyze the problems and prospects of tourism industry in Kashmir, simple descriptive statistical technique of mean, standard deviation, composite z-score and factor analysis have been used to analyze the level of agreement of respondents. 5-point Likert Maulanascale questionnaires Azad have beenLibrary, designed and Aligarh respondents wereMuslim asked to indicate University their level of agreement with a given statement. To determine the minimum and the maximum length of the 5-point Likert scale, the range is calculated by (5-1= 4) then divided by five as it is the greatest value of the scale (4÷5 = 0.80). Afterwards, the number one which is the least value in the scale was added in order to identify the maximum of this cell.

Introduction

Negative Positive

Very low Low impact Moderate impact High impact Very high impact

impact (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Figure 0.1: 5-point Likert Scale

Z-score or Standardized Score ̅ Zi =

Where, Zi is the standard score for the observation Xi is the original values of individual values for observation (i) ̅ is mean for the variables SD is the standard deviation ∑ Composite Z-score =

Where, Zi = Z-score of variable N = Total number of variables.

I. Factor Analysis

Factor analysis has been used for data reduction. Here a large number of variables were grouped into factors to establish a relationship between different variables. Before describing the utility of factor analysis in the study, it is important to explain the type and terms used in factor analysis. Description of these is given below:

Principle Component Method: It seeks to maximize the sum of loading of each factor extracted in turn. It explains more variance that would the loadings obtain from any other method of factoring. It constructs factors out of given variables. The loading worked out in such a way that extracted the factors from the variables.

Eigen Value: Sum squared values of factor loadings is Eigen value, it indicates the Maulanarelative importance Azad of eachLibrary, factor in accounting Aligarh for the particularMuslim set of Universityvariables being analyzed.

Use of Factor Analysis in Study: Principal components method of factor analysis has been used. For extraction Eigen Value 1.000 is taken into consideration. Further, the rotation varimax with iteration for convergence 25 were applied, to obtain the result in the

Introduction

form of factors. So factor analysis is used for data reduction and to obtain a small number of factors by reducing a large number of variables.

II. Compare Means

This was the second tool used in the study through which both mean value and standard deviation have been obtained. It helps the study to know:

 Mean value of dependent variables.  Association between independent variables and dependent variables (with a mean value of dependent variables) can be found.  Comparison between the mean of each individual variable based on their observed mean value.  Variables with High Impact will serve the finding of study and association with findings obtained through hypothesis testing.

With the help of this tool, individual variable with their importance level has been discovered. The mean value and standard deviation of variables are shown in tables under the flagship of factors along with the values obtained through factor analysis. The data collected from the respondents both local residents as well as tourists were then tabulated and entered in spread sheets and by using SPSS software, Microsoft Excel Package then graphs and figures were designed.

Organization of the Work

In the first chapter, attempt has been made to examine and assess the concept, meaning and definition of tourism. It also shows various types, approaches and products of tourism. Besides this, it also gives a brief account of the development of tourism Maulanaduring Ancient, AzadMedieval, BritisLibrary,h and Post Independence Aligarh Period. Muslim University Second chapter presents an account of the geographical personality of Kashmir consisting of physical, cultural, socio-economic and environment aspects of the region. It is assumed that these attributes directly or indirectly affect the diversification of tourism industry in the region.

Introduction

Fifth chapter deals with the identification of potential areas for future development of tourism in Kashmir. In this chapter, attempt has been made to highlight the various unexplored areas of Kashmir which have a huge potential of tourism but still are not brought under the map of tourism by the government. The study shows that the identification and delineation of these untapped tourist potential regions in Kashmir will help in reducing the increasing tourist pressure on the already developed destinations. It will not only support to explore the different kinds of tourist attractions but would also guide to develop basic tourist infrastructure, help in proper advertising of the tourist product, managing of tourist flow, optimization of financial returns and organization of the environmental health of the destination for sustainable tourism development in the region.

Introduction

highlights the existing socio-economic setup of host population who were engaged with the tourism business at the selected tourist destinations of Kashmir.

Last part presents the summary, conclusion and suggestions to attain the sustainable tourism development in the region.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Introduction

References

Avinash. C. (2008). Concept of Tourism, Jnanada Prakashan, New Delhi, 28.

Bhat, B. A. (2014). Exploring the Socio-Economic Coordinates of Tourism: A Case of Kashmir. Journal of Business & Economic Policy, 1(1), 10.

Biju, M. (2003). Management of Hospitality Industry; Indian Perspective; Sanjopsis, 114.

Census of India, 2011.

Chand, M. (2000). Travel Agency Management. Anmol Publications Private Limited, New Delhi, 45-48.

Dar, R, R. (2014). Understanding Kashmir Tourism-An Insight into its Trends, Prospects and Problems, International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 4(9).

India Tourism Statistics, (2014). Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Market research division, New Delhi.

Kamra, K., and Chand, M. (2007). Basics of Tourism: Theory, Practice and Operation. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 30.

Kaul, N. R. (2002). Dynamics of Tourism. Sterling publications, New Delhi, 4.

Khaki, A., and Nengroo, A. H. (2016). Economic impact of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 4(3), 2.

Khan, B. A. (2013). Tourism in Kashmir: Problems and Prospects, International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 2(4), 558-559.

Kour, S. (2013). Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir: With Reference to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. IT Journal of Management, 3(2), 147-156.

Lawrence. W. (1999). The Kashmir Gazetteer, Shubhi Publications. FK- 30. Shastri Nagar. Delhi, 12-15.

Mir, H. A. (2014). Impact of Tourism Industry on Economic Development of Jammu and Maulana Kashmir, Azad International Library, Journal of AligarhScientific & Engineering Muslim Research, University 5(6), 592. Misra, S. N., and Sadual, S.K (2008). Basics of Tourism Management, Excel Books: New Delhi. 8.

Mohanty, P. (1992). Hotel Industry and Tourism in India, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, 48.

Introduction

Nengroo., and Bhat G. H. (2015). Economic impact of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, European Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 4(1), 21.

Rajeswari. (2005). Profile of tourism in Kanyakumari Township, M.Phil dissertation, DDCE, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, 45-50.

Raza, M., and Mohammad. A. (1978). The Valley of Kashmir. The Land. Vikas Publication, Delhi, 11.

Robinson, H. (1976). A Geography of Tourism. Mac Donell and Evans Limited Plymouth, 53-54.

Shah, F. A., et.al. (2013). Impact of Armed Conflict on Kashmir Tourism and Socio- economic Profile of the People of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies, 3(7), 35-36

Shashi, S. P. (2004). Tourism Education: Principles, Theories and Practices, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 12.

Stephen, J. (2007). Tourism Management, Elsevier Limited, U.S.A, 10

UNWTO. (2015). Tourism Highlights. Retrieved from http://www.e/doi/pdf/10.18111/97 89 unwto.org284416899

World Travel and Tourism Council, (2015). Economic Impact India. Retrieved from wttc.org//media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/regional%202015/ world2015pdf,

WTTC, (2015). Travel & Tourism Economic Impact. Draft National Policy, Interim report, Ministry of Tourism Govt, of India.

Yousuf, Z. (2016). Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development of Shikarawalas of District Srinagar: A Sociological Analysis. Journal of Kashmir for Tourism and Catering Technology, 1(7), 26-27.

Zulfikar, M. (1998). Tourism and Hotel Industry, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Maulana Delhi, 6. Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Tourism is an ever-expanding service industry with vast growth potential and has, therefore, become one of the crucial concerns of the not only nations but also of the international community as a whole. In fact, it has come up as a decisive link in gearing up the pace of socio-economic development throughout the world (Kamara and Chand 2007). Tourism contributes in the development of understanding among people, provide employment, create foreign exchange and raise the standard of living. Tourism industries nourish a country‟s economy, stimulates development process, restore cultural heritage and help in maintaining international peace and understanding. It also contributes to the national integration of people who live in different regions of the world (Shashi, 2004).

1.1 Concept of Tourism

It is believed that the word tour in the context of tourism became established in the English language by the eighteen century. On the other hand, according to Oxford dictionary, the word tourism first came to light in the English in the nineteen century (1811) from a Greek word „tornus‟ meaning a round shaped tool. Tourism as a phenomenon means the movement of people (both within and across the national borders). Tourism means different things to different people because it is an abstraction of a wide range of industries in the economy.

Tourism is concerned with pleasure, holidays travel and going and arriving somewhere. There are motivations that make people leave their normal place of work and reside for short temporary visits to other places (Towner and France, 1992). Tourism is an activity that takes place when people move to some other place for leisure or for business and stay at least for 24 hours. Tourism means the business of providing information, transportation, accommodation and other services to travellers. Tourism is unique; it involves industry without smoke, education without a classroom, integration without legislation and diplomacy without formality (Shashi, 2004).

In 1905, E. Freuler defined tourism in the modern sense of the world „as a phenomena of modern times based on the increased need for recuperation and change of Maulanaair, the awakened, Azad and cultivatedLibrary, appreciation Aligarh of scenic beauty,Muslim the pleasure University in, and the enjoyment of nature and in particularly brought about by the increasing mingling of various nations and classes of human society, as a result of the development of commerce, industry and trade, and the perfection of the means of transport (Kaul, 2002). In 1910, an Australian economist Hermann V. Schullard, define tourism as, “the sum total

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

of operators mainly of an economic nature, which directly related to the entry, stay and movement of foreigners inside and outside a certain country, city or region. Burkart and S. Medlik provided another definition of tourism by saying that, “tourism is deemed to include any activity concerned with the temporary short-term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they normally live and work, and their activities during the stay at these destinations”. According to Oxford Dictionary, tourism is basically „travelling for pleasure; It involves a discretionary use of time and money.

Professor Hunziker and Krapf of the Berne University in 1942 defined tourism as „the sum total of phenomena and relationship arising from travel and stay of non- residents, in so far as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected with any earning activities‟ (Robinson, 1976). Another broad definition was formulated by IASET and the tourism society of Cardiff in 1981, tourism may be defined in terms of the particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home environment (Avinash, 2008). In 1991 Chris mentioned the definition of tourism provided by the British Tourist Authority as „a stay of one or more nights away from home for holidays, visitors to friends or relatives, business conferences or any other purpose except such things as boarding education or semi-permanent employment‟ (Hossain, 2006).

On 4th March 1993, the international organization responsible for tourism, the World Tourism Organisation (UN-WTO) gave modern definition of tourism as „tourism is defined as the activities of persons travelling to and staying in place outside their usual environment for more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity compensated from within the place visited. The use of this broad concept makes it possible to identify tourism between countries as well as tourism within a country (Stephen, 2007).

Another popular definition was quoted by Goeldner et al in 2000 as „Tourism is the sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the interaction of tourists, business suppliers, host governments and host communities in the process of attracting and hosting these tourists and other visitors. The authors also stated that tourism is a Maulanacomposite of activities,Azad servicesLibrary, and industries Aligarh that deliver Muslim a travel University experience: transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking establishments, shops, entertainment, activity facilities and other hospitality services available of individuals or groups that are travelling away from home.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

In a general way, tourism can be defined as the temporary movement of the people to destinations away from their place or normal habitat, the activities entered upon during their stay in those destination and the facilities developed to provide their needs (Jnanada, 2008). The study of tourism involves the motivation and experience of the tourists, on the one hand, the expectations of an adjustment made by the local residents of the concerned area, and the role played by the several agencies of moving, housing, feeding and entertaining people as they go from a place of their to another for business or pleasure. The industry primarily incorporates five groups of activities, i.e., transportation, accommodation, catering/retail, recreation, and travel related services.

The main characteristics of tourism are:  A movement of people to different destinations having two key elements. One, the journey to the destination and two, the stay including activities at the destination.  The movement is primarily of a temporary nature and for a relatively short duration making it different from migration.  It brings about activities dissimilar to those of the host population of the place visited.  The prime purpose of participation in tourism is by and large recreation and certainly not the purpose of seeking permanent residence or employment remunerated from within the place visited (Kaul, 2002).

1.2 Forms of Tourism

Tourism has been classified into various forms such as:

Domestic Tourism: Domestic tourism is also known as internal as well as national tourism. Domestic tourism involves a person who travels within the boundaries in his/her country to a destination other than his/her usual residence and stays at commercial accommodations, with relatives, friends and uses enjoyment facilities for a duration of not less than 24 hours, and the purpose lies within pilgrimage, pleasure, business, health, and study etc (Shashi, 2004). International Tourism: International tourism involves the movement of people from Maulanadifferent countries Azad in the Library, world. In other wordsAligarh when people Muslim travel to a nation University other than their own country in which they normally live and which has its separate identity in terms of political, economic and social set up. Inbound Tourism: Inbound tourism means when the foreign tourists are received by a country. This type of tourism has a direct impact on the economy of the host country, in

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

terms of employment generation, foreign exchange earnings, balance of payments, destination development, infrastructure development. Outbound Tourism: Outbound tourism means when people of a country visit the other countries for various purposes such as leisure, business, education, pilgrimage, political conferences etc. Internal Tourism: Internal tourism comprises domestic tourism and inbound tourism.

1.3 Type of Tourism

Based on the purpose of visit tourism is categorized into various types such as:

1.3.1 Leisure Tourism

Tourists may travel to experience a change in climate and place and learn something new, enjoy pleasant surroundings or get more knowledge about the culture of a destination. In this type, tourists go to a place that is very different from their regular day to day environment to take rest and relaxation and refreshing themselves (Khan, 2005). They prefer to rest in some quiet and comfortable destination, especially a mountain resort, beach or island resort.

1.3.2 Cultural Tourism

Cultural tourism is also known as heritage tourism. It is a most important form of tourism which attracts tourists to a destination. Cultural tourism has been defined as “the movement of people to a place away from their normal place of residence with the intention to know and gather new information related to the history and culture of that particular place”(Nzma, 2008). It may also be defined as special interest holidays, essentially motivated by cultural interests such as tours and visits to historical sites and monuments, architecture, museums and art galleries, traditions, cuisine, artistic performances and festivals as well as lifestyles of communities in order to gain a better understanding of the people, their customs, beliefs and practices (Oberholzer, 2010).

1.3.3 Pilgrimage Tourism Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Pilgrimage tourism or Spiritual tourism is a form of tourism, where people go on a long journey either individually or in groups for pilgrimage purposes or for carrying out missionary activities. They visit to places follow the footsteps of their founder or to attend a religious ceremony. Places such as churches, temples, mosques or landforms with

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

religious importance are some of the most visited sites by the pilgrimage tourists, who claim to seek oneness with the God through such journeys (Vukonic, 2002). The world‟s largest form of mass religious tourism takes place at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca Saudi Arabia and Catholics go on pilgrimages in the Holy Land to experience the paths where Jesus walked. Modern religious tourists are more able to visit holy cities and holy places around the globe. The most famous holy cities are Jerusalem, Mecca and Varanasi etc.

1.3.4 Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is also known as Health tourism. It is a relatively new type of tourist activity where the main priority of the traveller during the journey is to improve health, physical appearance or fitness. In other words, medical tourism constitutes the journey of patients from one place to another in order to get proper medical care and treatment. Some common treatments that patients seek in health tourism include treatments for certain genetic disorders and specialized surgeries such as cosmetic surgeries, joint replacement and so on. Some people also travel to seek psychiatric and alternative healing treatments. Medical tourism is an old aged concept that has gained much popularity in the recent times. Many developing countries of the world are emerging as hot medical tourism destinations capitalizing on low-cost advantages. Many hospitals have specially designed packages including resorts facilities.

1.3.5 Drug Tourism

Drug tourism is defined as the tourist activity in which people go to long distances for the purpose of buying and consuming drugs and narcotics, which are illegal and illegitimate in one‟s own country or territory. This kind of tourism involves a lot of legal implications and restrictions and people found carrying illegal drugs can often be prosecuted for drug smuggling. However, there are some regions in the world which are famous for their legal drug culture and hence, thousands of tourists move to these places in order to acquire forbidden substances.

Maulana1.3.6 Wellness Azad Tourism Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Wellness tourism is a fast-growing trend in the tourism sector throughout the world. It refers to travelling from one place to another for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing one's body, mind and soul. This type of tourism involves wellness solutions, such as massages, body treatments, beauty treatments, weight loss programs and so on.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Owing to the popularity of the trend, several destinations have come up at various places, which offer numerous facilities for tourists according to their desire and preferences.

1.3.7 Adventure Tourism

The adventure tourism means an unusual and exciting or daring activity, which involves the risk or danger. It refers to an outdoor travel activity and can be categorised as a leisure travel activity to which the physical risk and danger is a compulsory aspect. Adventure tourism is an enthusiasm based activity where an adventurist is ready to face a high and low level of challenges and risks (Bank and Aima, 2012). The unusual, wildness, exotic or remote places are the main attractions for the adventure tourism activities, where the adventurist explores new areas and expects the unexpected results. It is a unique and unmatchable form of tourism in which adventurists are ready to accept the limited infrastructural development or totally undeveloped destinations where they are getting the authentic experience. In spite of the threats of injuries and death, the adventurists are welcoming and doing the adventure activities excitedly without negative feelings (Beedie and Hudson, 2003). This kind of tourism is becoming very much famous among the adventure lovers, who are always in the search for something new to satisfy their adrenaline rush. According to the National Tour Association, adventure tourism is a “tour designed around an adventurous activity such as rafting, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing paragliding etc”. It has various forms, which can be broadly categorized as: Land Adventure, Water Adventure and Aerial Adventure (Bently and Page, 2001).

1.3.8 Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a very broad type of tourism that involves a socially responsible trip to virtually fragile, undisturbed and pristine areas of natural beauty while maintaining and conserving the environment and sustains the well-being of the local community” (Asoora, 2014). Ecotourism can provide much-required revenues for the protection and conservation of national parks and other natural areas. Additionally, it can provide a viable economic development alternative for local people with few other incomes Maulanagenerating opportunities. Azad Moreover,Library, ecotourism Aligarh can enhance Muslim the education University level and activism among travellers, making them more enthusiastic and effective agents of conservation (Karrar, 2014). Ecotourism also encompasses the concepts of wildlife tourism and geo tourism. Moreover, agritourism or rural tourism has also been added to

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

the subtypes of ecotourism, which involves visiting a farm and indulge in agriculture- related activities.

1.3.9 Wildlife Tourism

Wildlife tourism is a subtype of ecotourism and can be broadly defined as trips to destinations with the main purpose of the visit being to make observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. Wildlife tourism in its simplest sense is interacting with wild animals in their natural habitat either by actively (e.g. hunting) or passively (watching). This form tourism is an important part of the tourism industries in many countries including many African and South American countries, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. It has gained a dramatic popularity and rapid growth in recent years worldwide.

1.3.10 Rural Tourism

Rural tourism is a recent outcome and subsidiary branch of the tourism sector. It has been considered as a practical theme for sustainable development throughout the world. It is a type of nature based tourism that shows the rural life, culture, art and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefitting the rural inhabitants socially and economically as well as enabling interaction between the visitors and the local people for a more inspiring tourism experience (Ahmad and Jahan, 2013). Such form of tourism has created an enormous impact on the rural economy and socio-cultural development of the concerned area on one hand and brings a prospective scope for the rural population on the other hand (Kumar, 2013). This type has become increasingly popular in the developing countries in recent time and is widely considered as an important tool for rural development. Rural tourism brings people of different faiths, languages, and cultures close to each other and offers a new outlook of life. It not only generates employment opportunity for the people but also increases social, cultural and educational values. As against conventional tourism, rural tourism has certain unique characteristics like; it is experience oriented, it is predominantly in the natural environment, the locations are Maulanasparsely populated, Azad it meshesLibrary, with seasonality Aligarh and local Muslim events and isUniversity based on the preservation of local culture, heritage and traditions (Khound, 2013).

1.3.11 Sports Tourism

Sports tourism refers to travelling activities of people which involve either watching or participating in competitive sporting events staying apart from their usual

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

environment. Sports tourism is a fast growing sector of the global travel industry and has gained much popularity today, and we see a large number of tours organized at times of major sports events like Olympic Games, Cricket World Cup, and FIFA World Cup, which enable people to watch these games live in the stadiums. This kind of tourism generates a good amount of income each year.

1.3.12 Educational Tourism

Educational tourism is that type of tourism in which the main focus of visiting another region or country is to learn about the culture, such as in Study Tours and Student Exchange Programs, organizing specialized lectures of the eminent personalities and for research. This type of tourism developed, because of the growing popularity of teaching and learning of knowledge and the enhancing of technical capability outside of the classroom environment.

1.3.13 Business Tourism

In business tourism, the main motive of traveller‟s is to travel for work purposes. In this type of tourism, tourists visit a particular place for various reasons pertaining to his/her work such as attending a business meeting, conventions selling products, conferences, meeting clients. Business tourism is popularly known as MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism.

1.3.14 Dark Tourism

Dark tourism is also referred to as black tourism and grief tourism and involves visiting those places and sites which have been witnesses to some of the major tragedies in history. Apart from their tragic histories of human suffering and bloodshed, most of these destinations are also popular for their historical value. The sites bearing violent pasts have become much popular tourist destinations nowadays and are attracting a large inflow of visitors year after year.

1.3.15 Sex tourism Maulana Sex tourism Azad is defined Library, as the kind of Aligarhtravelling activity Muslim in which people University travel to distant places to indulge in sexual activities. Generally, this type of tourism involves travelling to those places or countries, wherein either prostitution is legal or the law enforcement agencies are indifferent. However, there are several moral and human rights concerns involved in sex tourism, especially pertaining to non-consensual sex and child

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

prostitution. Nevertheless, this is one of the most flourishing niches of the world tourism industry.

1.4 Approaches of Tourism

There are various approaches which are essential and helpful for studying and understanding tourism such as:

Product Approach: This approach is very important for studying tourism and is related to the consideration of different tourism products involving the mode of production, marketing and consumption.

Institutional Approach: This is a key approach to the study the tourism and mainly takes into consideration the various organisations/institutions and intermediaries such as tour operators and travel agencies associated with the tourism activities. The approach involves an examination of the organization, problems, costs, and economic position of the travel agents who act as a representative of the customer.

Managerial Approach: Managerial approach is being firm oriented and is basically microeconomic in nature. It concentrates on the management activities such as planning, research, pricing, marketing, control etc. vital to the operation of a tourist establishment. This approach maintains its weight in the modern tourism Scenario as tourism has been characterized as an industry. Geographical Approach: Geographical approach is relatively wider as well as popular because tourism has to do with geography at so many points namely location, climate, landscape, environment and physical as well as economic impacts. The geographer's approach to tourism elucidates the location of tourist areas, movement of people generated by tourist destinations, change in the landscape emerging from the provisioning of tourism facilities and amenities and socio-economic and cultural difficulties.

Sociological Approach: Tourism trend to be a social activity being an interaction between different communities-hosts and guests and encountered between different cultures. This approach studies social classes, habits and customs of both hosts and guests Maulanain terms of tourismAzad beh aviourLibrary, of individual Aligarh or group of people Muslim and the impact University of tourism on society.

Historical Approach: Tourism can be thoroughly perceived by making out of the happenings, occurrences and studying changes in the tie-up between prime elements of

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

the destination system over the years which worked round to present day position. Such an understanding is of interest of policymakers generally interested in resolving opposing concerns in and agreeing and dynamic enterprising framework acknowledging tourism as one component of the several social and economic activities in an area.

Economic Approach: Economic approach is important for studying tourism, from the economic perspective; tourism is the sum total of tourist expenditures within the bounds of a nation or a political subdivision or transportation centred economic area of adjoining states or nations. Herman Von Schullard (1910), an Australian economist defines tourism purely from an economic perspective as “the sum total of operations mainly of economic nature which directly relate to the entry, stay and the movement of foreigners inside and outside a certain country, city or region”.

Systematic Approach: A system is a set of interrelated groups coordinated to form unified whole and put in order to bring about a set of goals. A systematic approach can review a tourist enterprise competitive environment, its market, its performance, its linkage with other institutions, the consumer, and the quality of interaction between the firm and the consumer. It can also facilitate an analysis of a country‟s tourism system, its operation within and in relation to other systems, such as economic, political social and legal ones (Kamra and Chand, 2007).

1.5. Products of Tourism

The concept of tourism product is important to understand the suggestion and practice of management in all the sectors of the travel and tourism industry as tourism has generated analytical exploration of various dimensions and details perceived as an economic activity having consumption, or demand, aspect and a production or supply aspect. From the marketing perspective according to Kotler (1984) products can be defined as „anything, physical objects, services, persons, places, organizations and ideas that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need.

MaulanaThe main components Azad of tourism Library, product are :Aligarh Muslim University Attractions: These elements are the principal motivation for tourists. Attractions comprise natural attractions (landscape, seascape, beaches, and climate), built attractions (historic and new townscape and purpose-built attractions such as parks), cultural attractions and social attractions.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Accessibility: Access is a subject of transport infrastructure (airports, harbours, motor ways and rail networks) and transport technology becomes important in the form of costs of travel and the time consumed in reaching the destination.

Destination Facilities/Amenities: Destination facilities involve the elements within the destination and facilitate the tourists stay at destinations. Facilities are purpose-built around the needs and wants of the visitors. These facilities include accommodation, restaurants, cafes and bars, transport and other subsidiary services such as retailing, visitor information etc.

Images: An image reflects the basic qualities of the tourism product, its design, quality, style of attractions and its built and social environment. Images are significant in the sense that they affect the buyer‟s behaviour. Tourism product images are not given to the based on personal experience but on the information gathered from the tourist organizations and the tourists who have experienced it earlier.

Price: Price is the function of attractions and facilities provided, with a range of prices according to the needs of visitors. Price is the sum totals of costs on product elements such as travel, accommodation and involvement in a range of selected services at the destination. Price of the tourism is not static but changes by the physical distance travelled, nature of accommodation, the season of the year and types of activity opted for.

1.6 Impacts of Tourism

Tourism brings development in terms of infrastructure, encourages local skills, connectivity by road and air and helps mobility and a better understanding of culture. Contrary to this, it also brings some of the negative impacts like ecological disturbances, cultural mix and changes in social structure and physical changes.

1.6.1 Positive Effects of Tourism on the Environment

The positive impacts can be summarized as under: 1. Economic benefits to the society i.e. flow in the form of foreign exchange earnings, Maulanadirect and indirect Azad employment Library, opportunities Aligarh created due Muslim to the development University of tourism and the associated infrastructure and the resultant income multiplier effects. It also leads to increased government revenues in the form of various kinds of taxes levied on tourism. 2. The tourism activities also lead to better resource availability for construction of

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

infrastructure and maintenance of heritage properties and parks due to the combined effect of three factors. a. The historical monuments, nature parks and cultural traditions are projected to attract tourists; there is an increased allocation of resources for their maintenance and publicity from the government. b. The visiting tourists pay for their visits to these monuments, the funds so received add to the available pool. c. The combined effect of increased expenditure of the government on the creation of infrastructure and publicity results in increased tourist arrivals. 3. Tourism also promotes cross-cultural exchanges with tourists and resident population learning more about each other‟s culture. In the multi-ethnic society such as India, the domestic tourism can ideally help achieve cross-cultural understanding. 4. The tourism infrastructure utilizes the idle and wasteland in the area.

Flow Chart: Positive Effect of Tourism

POSITIVE EFFECTS

ECOLOGY SOCIO-CULTURAL ECONOMIC

Encourages Preserves Creates • Job opportunities • Ecological awareness • Monuments • Foreign exchange • Conservation measures • Folk traditions • Additional income •Measures to hold pollution. • Cultural properties • Better multiplier • Cleanliness in compounds, • Art or history diversification parks and woodlands • Jobs for unskilled and semiskilled. Responsible for • Tourist • Space organization Helps • Urbanization Improves • Maintenance of scenic • Increased communication • Infrastructure landscape. •Modernization of facilities • Local arts/crafts • Research/Environment • Regional development impact studies • Standard of living Maulana• Retreat from marginal Azad hill Library, Encourages Aligarh Muslim University side farming. • Education • Training of craftsmen/ expedition • Contact with outside world •Rediscovery of lost traditions

Figure 1.1

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

1.6.2. Negative Effects of Tourism on the Environment

The negative impacts occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment‟s ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change. a. Uncontrolled conventional tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world. b. It can put enormous pressure on an area and lead to impacts such as increased pollution, soil erosion, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species, discharges into the sea and heightened vulnerability to forest fires. c. It often puts a strain on water resources, and it can force local populations to compete for the use of critical resources.

Flow Chart: Negative Effect of Tourism

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

ECOLOGY SOCIO-CULTURAL ECONOMIC

Deterioration of • Cultural loss Encourages • Forests (energy) • Xenophobia • Inflationary trends • Conspicuous • Fauna (Poaching) • Vandalism • Grazing land (Camping) • Imitation of western culture consumption • Selling out antiques • Privileged treatment of tourists • Imports for tourists Changes • Life style Pollution • Uneven economic • Vernacular Architecture • Water development • Air • Settlement pattern • Overuse of scarce • Noise • Folk tradition resources. • Trash, Garbage

Seasonal dependence on Degradation of Promotes • Tourism • Landscape. • Crime/ Gambling • Domination by externals • Scenic appeal • Prostitution Maulana• Hygienic problemsAzad Library,• Drug addictionAligarh Muslim University • Carrying capacity due to • Inferiority (Locals) overburdening • Beggar mentality

Figure 1.2

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

1.7 Historical Development of Tourism

The growth and development of tourism have been closely linked with the growth and development of society. The travellers of the ancient past were in fact, the explorers in search of knowledge of different lands, of people, their cultures and their traditions. There were also traders interested in the development of trade and commerce. In fact, these developments paved the way for the development of travel in the subsequent periods. Travel in prehistoric times Palaeolithic Age (30,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C.) was totally for the purpose of day to day survival. Gradually, when the regions were explored, the fire was discovered and tools were made, people were able to settle down in shelters. The ability to make and use tools and building shelters enabled prehistoric man to travel to new hunting grounds even in very extreme and inhospitable weather. Subsequently, during the Neolithic Age, (10,000 B.C.), primitive people settled in more permanent regions and formed themselves into some agricultural communities. During this age, several innovations in the field of transport changed the nature of travel (Shashi, 2007).

In Egypt, sailing vessels were built around 4000 B.C. This resulted in conscious travel in order to explore and see the world. The invention of the wheel and money by Sumerians (Babylonia) around 3500 B.C. marks the beginning of the modern era of travel. The invention of money created a way for the development of trade and commerce. The invention of money and development of trade and commerce beginning around 3500 B.C. is said to be the most significant development of the time which paved way for the development and organisation of travel.

Travel in the distant past was not undertaken for the purpose of pleasure; the purpose was not to seek any holiday from the work situation. The primary reason for which travel was undertaken was related to trade, commerce and the activities associated with it. The trader in the ancient past was thus a trader and merchant looking for merchandise and engaging in trade and commerce. There was, however, another form of traveller, whose aim was other than trade and commerce. This traveller was a pilgrim, a Maulanascholar who was Azad in search Library, of ancient texts. Aligarh So seeking knowledgeMuslim was hisUniversity primary purpose for undertaking travel. Travel for trade and commerce was thus the strongest force in the ancient past for seeking fortunes. Throughout history traders and merchants have travelled to far off lands in order to trade with other nations and tribes. Travellers from distant lands started moving about in moving large numbers and visited many places for the purpose of commerce (Wahab and Pilgrim, 1997).

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Gradually, the opening of the new trade routes gave a big boost to travel. With the opening of trade routes, travel became easier as well as regulated. The travellers made contacts with each other at the market places which resulted in the increased flow of trade and commerce. Trade relations gradually matured into cultural relations and a better understanding of each other‟s way of life. This was favourable development towards an increase in travel activity during this period. As early as the third millennium B.C., Egypt was a popular place for people from then known world. The Babylonian King Shulgi who ruled Egypt 4,000 years ago is said that he protected roads, built gardens and rest houses for respectable travellers.

From the third century B.C., the ancient Greeks travelled short distances in small boats. Since the ancient city-states of ancient Greece had no central authority to order the construction of roads, most of the tourists and merchandise travelled by water. The Greeks too enjoyed their religious festivals. They travelled to visit the sites of healing gods. Ancient Greece was the destination for those attending the Olympic Games and other festivals. By the fifth century B.C, Athens had become an important destination for travellers. Herodotus toured Phoenicia, Egypt, Cyrenaica, Greece, and black sea and recorded the history, customs, traditions and practices of the people living in the areas. Philosophers such as Thales, Pythagoras and Plato travelled to Egypt.

The Romans probably were the first pleasure travellers in the world. Travel became quite sophisticated by the time Christ was born. The Romans used to travel up a hundred miles a day by using a relay of horses. They travelled to see the temples in the Mediterranean area and the pyramids of Egypt. Wealthy Greeks and Romans travelled to Egypt on holiday, sport the summers and visited more often for leisure than for health reasons. The rapid improvement in communications, which coincided with Roman conquest, aided the growth of travel (Khan, 2005).

Early travel in India and China was mostly based on trade and commerce. Travel to India was undertaken by travellers from all over the world. This was done for a variety of reasons, the most important among them being trade and commerce. Both India and MaulanaChina enjoyed Azad the status Library, of being countries Aligarh of fabulous wealth Muslim where trade University and commerce flourished. It is proof that long before the Christian era, travellers visited India in search of fortune. This trend continued and became more marked in course of time with Europeans heading towards Indian shores for the only purpose of trade and commerce. The urge to explore new lands and to seek new knowledge in ancient and distant lands

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

was another cause of travellers in subsequent periods. Although trade and commerce continued to be the strong force for many travellers to understand journeys to distant lands, seeking new knowledge and exploring the unexplored lands in ancient times. India not only attracted series of invaders starting with Alexander of Macedonia but also great travellers like Vasco da Gama. Many foreigners, Arabs and Europeans came to India to establish trading posts. The great explorer, Christopher Columbus, set out to find a new route to India and in the process of discovering the New World.

During the days of Roman Empire, travel facilities in India were of high order. Trade flowed freely between India and Rome. Emperor Ashoka‟s emissaries travelled to Srilanka, East Asia and West Asia to spread the messages of Lord Buddha. Chinese travellers came to India and have left accounts of their well known and extensive travels within the country. These travel accounts by foreign travellers are major sources of Indian history. There were other well-developed travel routes. Camel caravans took travellers along China‟s Silk Road, the great trails from Baghdad to Aden, Samarkand to Timbuktu (Mak and White, 1992).

1.7.1 Tourism in the Middle Age Period

After the collapse of the Roman Empire (476 A.D.) and the onset of dark ages (1450), there was a great setback for pleasure travel in Europe. Travel became less attractive, more dangerous and more difficult. The decline of the Roman Empire came to a sharp decline in trade and commerce. During this period there were only the most adventurous who have the guts to travel as travel was very hazardous and vulnerable. The result was that most pleasure travel was undertaken close to home but international travel was available in small scale. Though, these were the European pilgrims who were taking a trip to the religious shrines. With the result, there was a growth of travel mostly for religious reasons. It had become an organized phenomenon for pilgrims to visit their “holy land”, such as Muslims to Mecca, and Christians to Jerusalem and Rome. The practice of travelling for religious purposes became a well-established custom in many parts of the world. So, deep and strong was hold of a faith that the ritual of pilgrimage Maulanaflourished over theAzad centuries. Library, The pilgrimages Aligarh also provided theMuslim necessary movement University for a „stay at home‟ agrarian society to break out of its narrow geographical confines and visit places associated with the religion.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

In India, pilgrim travel assumed a great importance. Emperor Ashoka travelled to spread the doctrines of Buddha. Harsha was another emperor who was greatly influenced by the Buddhist scriptures. He built institutions and Dharamshala for travellers. Numerous temples were also built for the pilgrims. The powerful influence of religion slowly penetrated a foreign land, such as Christianity in Europe and later in America and Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism in Asia took place permit an assimilation and maintenance of very distinctive languages, literature, art, architecture, philosophy and forms of government. Religion thus played and continues to play a crucial role in the development of tourism in the world.

The earliest travellers from distant lands to the Indian soil were the trading Persians. During the rule of Guptas, there was a free access to the ports along the western coast, seaborne commerce with Europe through Egypt was yet another reason for travel in and around the country. Great travellers from various faraway lands visited India. The greatest traveller remembered from the distant past is Hieun-Tsang, a religious Chinese Buddhist who made the journey to India around A.D. 633. and collect and translate ancient Buddhist scriptures. Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Benjamin of Tudela, Ibn Bututah, Francisco Friar and Mark Twain were other travellers who made the journey to India. One of the greatest developments during this period was the emergence of some sort of communication system and accommodation. Development of trade and commerce necessitated this development.

The first medieval traveller was probably Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish scholar, who left Saragossa in the year A.D. 1160. He wrote a detailed account of his thirteen-year long journey through Europe, Persia, and India and gave information on the Jewish communities and the geography of various places. Another famous medieval traveller was Ibn Batutah who passed through various countries in Africa and West Asia, crossed the Sindhu in A.D.1333 and recorded interesting accounts of his travel experiences. Out of a total of more than 17,000 miles, he covered more than 14,000 miles in the course of his travels through India, the Maldives and Ceylon. Marco Polo, the fearless traveller, spent Maulanaalmost twenty Azad-five years Library, in Asia during theAligarh latter part of 13Muslimth century. One University of the famous travellers Vasco da Gama opened the sea route from Western Europe to India in 1498 and Ferdinand Magellan whose ship sailed around the world. The Renaissance marked the next important stage in the history of travel. The reappearance of tourism in Europe follows the Italian Renaissance and the development of a full-scale urban system and a

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

network of roads. By the end of the fifteenth century, Italy itself became the object of attention.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the growth in trade and commerce led to the rise of a new type of tourists, who travelled to broaden their own experience and knowledge. Many more European monks, travellers and adventures visited India and many other places in search of knowledge. The sons and the daughters of the British upper-class people travelled throughout Europe (Italy, Germany and France) for periods of time to improve their knowledge. This was known as Grand tour. The development of grand tourism followed a shift in the focus of culture and of economic and political power. The wealthy and educated people visited countries that had passed their peak of status but were still respected for historical and cultural reasons. The eighteenth century is conventionally considered the golden age of grand tour, especially the thirty years between 1763 and 1793. During the eighteenth century the introduction of an annual holiday in Europe was an important achievement in tourism which enabled many people to travel in large numbers. During this period great poets, authors and intellectuals visited Italy and other countries with the view to broaden their knowledge and learn new arts and crafts. The grand tourism paved the way for the popular tourism of nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

1.7.2 Tourism in Industrial Age

The concept of modern tourism came into being in the second half of the nineteenth century with the development of the industrialized societies of Western Europe and North America. Development of industrialized societies of Western Europe and North America can, therefore, be considered as responsible for the growth of modern tourism. These societies which developed in Western Europe and North America greatly felt the urge to travel purely for purpose of rest and relaxation. This trend gave way to tourism in the later part of the century and in the twentieth century. Development of industrialized societies was a direct result of Industrial Revolution in the West. The Industrial Revolution brought tremendous changes in society. It was responsible for the Maulanachange both in theAzad economic Library, and social systems. Aligarh A large number Muslim of factory Universitytowns, both big and small, sprang up which in turn necessitated large-scale migrations from the countryside to towns and cities.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Gradually the industrialisation brought in better working conditions and increase in material wealth for a large number of workers. The simultaneous improvement in transport and communication systems during the second half of the nineteenth century enabled a large number of industrial workers not only in England but elsewhere as well to the advantage of holidays for rest, relaxation and pleasure. The substantial increase in workers purchasing power and disposable income for travel were two important factors which helped the growth of pleasure zones. This period turned most people away from basic agriculture into the urban way of life; as a result, there was a rapid growth of the wealth and education level of middle class, as well as an increase of leisure time and a demand for holiday tourism activities. At that time, travel for health became important when the rich and fashionable Europeans began to visit the health resorts in England and Germany.

During this period social and technological changes created an immense impact on tourism, great advances in science and technology made possible the invention of rapid, safe and relatively cheap forms of transport and communication. The introduction of railways in the nineteenth century was a crucial milestone in the development of modern tourism. Passengers were first carried by rail in 1830 in England. The newly completed railway track between Liverpool and Manchester in England featured special requirements for carrying passengers in addition to goods, but the birth of organised rail travel came in the year 1841. The success of the Liverpool and Manchester railway encouraged many other countries in Europe to open railway lines. Railway tracks were laid in France, Australia, Switzerland and America. This revolution in transport technology produced an immediate expansion in European tourism. In the early 1870, first class railway travel was introduced by American, named G. M. Pullman, who developed the Pullman coaches with their luxury furnishings and having dining facilities. Long distance travel could now be undertaken in comfort and with pleasure.

After the introduction of the railway in England, the business communities there were pressing the East India Company to introduce railways in the subcontinent of India. MaulanaThe contract Azad for the actual Library, construction was Aligarh awarded to English Muslim Company, University Messrs Faviel and Fowler. It was on April 16, 1853, that the first train in the east took off from Bori Bunder in Bombay to Thane, covering a distance of 33 kilometres. The introduction of railways thus vastly increased the opportunities for escape from the rigours of city life as

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

a result of urbanisation. The railways can be considered as one of the most powerful motives for mass travel in nineteenth as well as early twentieth centuries.

The introduction of Sea transport during the nineteenth century made a significant contribution to travel. The shipping technology made a number of innovations. In America, a number of sailing ships were built which were considered more superior than those built in England or elsewhere. The English felt a great need for improved communications across the Atlantic with America for the purpose of trade and commerce and passenger transportation; as a result, there was a great improvement in the development of deep sea shipping. With the passage of time, towards the last quarter of the nineteenth century, emigrant traffic became important in North Atlantic Travel. America was considered at that time the New World full of opportunities and fortunes for people in Europe. A great number of people from the continent started going to America in search of fortune. Great Britain and Germany, along with other countries became the principal generators of emigrants to the new world. The opening of Suez Canal in 1869 brought about the possibility of a much-shortened route between West and East and in turn, stimulated the introduction of better steamship carriage to the Far East.

1.7.3 Development of Modern Tourism

By the turn of the twentieth century, all the main characteristics of modern tourism were evident in origin. There were changes in mental attitudes towards pleasure seeking, the recognised value of travel for education, increase in material wealth together with social prestige, a growing need to find relief from working routine, improvements in passenger transport systems. All these factors produced a fertile ground for the development of excursion traffic on a large scale. During the World War 1 there was a temporary halt to tourist movements. The war saw a considerable decline in tourist travel not only within Europe but also all over the world. However, soon after the World War 1, the travel reached pre-war peak level. The early post-war period has brought prosperity together with large-scale migration; the period increased the demand for International Travel. The gradual development of the mass communication system like the radio and Maulanathe press also played Azad a crucial Library, role in increasing Aligarh travel by wayMuslim of widening University knowledge and interest of a large number of people about their countries. The post-war period also brought attitudinal changes which were destined to influence the volume and nature of tourism. It was responsible for breaking down international barriers, resulting in the peaceful internationalism just the climate in which tourism is likely to flourish the most.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Post war era also saw a rise in the standard of living of the working and middle class people of America and certain other countries in Europe. Soon after the war, the tourists began to appear in countries where tourism had been practically unknown a few years earlier. The major tourist countries enjoyed an unparalleled boom in the twenties. In the year 1929, there were nearly one and a half million visitors to Switzerland, over one million to Italy and about two million to Australia. France, Spain, and Great Britain also received a considerable number of visitors (Avinash, 2008).

Development of road and air transport is the major factor which was largely responsible for great advancement in modern tourism. Up to the beginning of twentieth, people travelled almost entirely by rail and steamship but with the invention of the new transport medium, the entire shape of tourist industry was therefore transformed. The growth of private car may be identified as the major cause which changes the nature of tourists as we as tourism. The motor car gradually came to be the alternative means of transport for both short and medium range journey. The development of the automobile industry has led to the demand for multi-lane highways all over the world, especially in the developed countries which led to tremendous growth of travel. The invention of the private motor car and coach received its first great thrust in the ten years which preceded World War 1. The motor car revolutionised holiday habits of the Europeans and Americans. The provision of good motor roads and road services were important factors in the development of both domestic and international Tourism.

The concept of mass tourism emerged along with the introduction of the holiday with pay. The introduction of annual paid holidays is very largely of English origin and it was established during the inter-war years as a reality for a considerable part of the working population. By the year 1939, in the UK, some eleven million people were covered by the Holidays with Pay Act (1938). Introduction of the paid holiday had led to great mobility of the population, created new industries, resulted in the creation and growth of many towns of distinctive function and broadened the horizons of millions of people. In fact, the introduction of paid holidays can truly associate with the development Maulanaof modern mass Azad tourism. Library, Aligarh Muslim University

In the year 1936, modern tourism really got in progress when at the beginning of its Trade Union representatives, the International Labour Organisation adopted the first convention that was to support the serious movement to promote paid holidays and in turn tourism. Paid holidays are now established all over the world, and in most countries, a

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

minimum duration of one to three weeks is specified either by law or by collective agreements between the employer and the workers. This concept of paid holidays which originated with the advent of industrialisation in the West has given modern tourism tremendous boost.

The encouraging trend in tourism witnessed as a result of post-First World War period but received a great obstruction as the Second World War intervened. The post second War period brought a rapid development of tourism. As the World to began to settle down after the years of readjustments immediately after the war ended in the year 1945, there has been a remarkably rapid increase in domestic as well as international Tourism. The United Nations reported that in the ten years between 1955 and 1965, number of tourist arrivals in some sixty-five countries increased three fold around 51 million to over 157 million. This trend in growth in International Tourism continued till the mid-1960. It continued to be determined by the living standards in the developed countries. The wide spread introduction of the holiday with pay to large majority of people during this period was another important factor responsible for the growth of tourist traffic. In the year there were nearly 220 million international tourist arrivals in the world. This was an increase of more than 90 per cent over the year 1965. This period was a period of intensive economic and technological development in most industrialised countries which had suffered a great deal as a result of the war. Most of the developing countries during this period were also able to benefit from the growing trend in the developed countries to engage in tourism. The late twentieth century period can thus be termed as a period which is responsible for introducing a phenomenon called „mass tourism‟. Although the enormous expansion of tourism has taken place primarily in the advanced industrialised countries, where tourism has become a part of the lifestyle and consumption pattern. It has also shown its power in the developing countries as well.

The role of air transport in the development of international tourism is becoming increasingly important. Air transport has certainly been a key factor in the growth of international tourism especially in respect of long distance and global tourism. Air travel Maulanahas changed the Azad complexity Library, of travel and tourism Aligarh completely, Muslim especially in Universitythe field of international tourism. It has brought about the democratisation of travel enabling millions of people to take a holiday or move on business. The main period of growth of air travel was during the 1960s when overseas holiday became a symptomatic benefit of a society experiencing rising living standard. In Europe, the years immediately after World War 1

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

witnessed the attempts to create commercial airlines. Certain commercial civil air services were inaugurated and developed in this period. Besides Europe, air transport was also developed in many other countries including India during this period.

Although international air travel was born at the end of World War 1 and slowly grew between the two wars. This period saw the development of large-scale pressurised civil aircraft. The removal of the period of war restrictions on international travel and the tremendous increase in speed, safety and comfort provided by the new aircraft released the long built-up desire to travel of the people. The advent of jet travel in 1958 was the most dramatic event which introduced an entirely new dimension of speed, comfort and efficiency to air transport and brought mass travel to its present level. As a result of the entry of advanced jet aircraft in the civil aviation industry, air travel from the year 1960 onwards grew tremendously. Great advances have been made in air travel in the recent years, more particularly for overseas holiday making. Factors like comfort, speed and safety during this period influence the tourist‟s choice of mode of transport. Air transport thus is the key factor which has largely been responsible for the spurt in tourism, especially modern tourism (Shashi, 2004).

The principal causes of the rapid growth of demand for tourism in the highly developed industrialised countries in the course of recent decades can be summed up as economic, social and technological. Rising per capita incomes together with increasing prosperity had given higher purchasing power and an increase in discretionary incomes to a large section of people. As a result, this has made tourism and travel accessible to an increasing number of people. The social causes of the rapid growth of tourism can be linked with new attitudes towards travel and leisure. Traditionally considered a luxury, travel now is considered to be a normal activity and an essential part of lifestyles and consumption patterns of a large majority of people enjoying a higher standard of life. A large number of people are now going abroad to participate in more exciting, challenging and exotic activities like mountaineering, water skiing, trekking, winter sports and under water swimming.

Maulana The technologicalAzad Library, causes of the rapid Aligarh growth of tourism Muslim can be associated University with the advancements made in modernising transport and communication systems. The impact of modern transport technology, especially in the field of aviation has brought about a completely new meaning to travel and tourism. Travel to even remote areas has now become reality. The technological developments have now made it possible for an

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

increasing number of people to travel to faraway places which only a few decades ago were regarded as being almost inaccessible. The gradual evolution of the originally homogeneous air travel market into two separate and distinct segments and schedule air travel has greatly increased the demand. In Addition to this, the newer marketing methods like the „package tour‟ are a major contributing factor to the growth of tourism. Opening up of new travel destinations, particularly in the developing countries, the creation of new facilities to receive a large flow of tourists and increasing tourism promotion and marketing efforts by the tourist service enterprises have greatly increased the tourist flow (Avinash, 2008).

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

References

Khan, A. M. (2005). Introduction to Tourism. Anmol Publications, New Delhi, 115-200

Ahmed, I; and Jahan, N. (2013), Rural Tourism-Prospects in Rustic Bengal, European Journal of Business and Management, 5(16), 164,170.

Asoora, K. (2014). Ecotourism- The Potential areas in Nilambur. International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 2(1), 2-3.

Avinash, C. (2008). Concept of Tourism. Jnanada Prakashan, New Delhi, 13-28.

Bano, F; and Aima, A. (2012). Adventure Tourism Potential: A Study of Kashmir. International Journal of Research in Commerce, IT & Management, 2(9), 4-7. Beedie, P; and Hudson, S. (2003). “Emergence of Mountain based adventure tourism”. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(3), 625-643. Bentley, T. A; and S. J. Page (2001). Scoping the extent of adventure tourism accidents. Annals of Tourism Research, 28, 705-726. Karrar. H. (2014). Scope of Eco-Tourism in Kerala, A Geographical Analysis. Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, 2(15), 3-6.

Khan A. M. (2005). Introduction to Tourism, Anmol Publications, New Delhi, 20-21.

Khound, J. M. (2013). Constraints and Prospects of Rural Tourism Development: An Overview of Tourism in Shyamgaon of Titabor of Jorhat, District (Assam). Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 1(1), 27.

Kumar, N. (2013). Potential and Challenges of Rural Tourism in Punjab, Indian Journal of Research, 2(3), 41-42.

Mak, J; and White, K. (1992). Comparative Tourism Development in Asia and the Pacific, Journal of Travel Research, 31(1), 14-23.

Nzma, A.T (2008). Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism on the Rural areas within the World Heritage Sites- The Case of Kwazula-Natal, South Africa. South Asian Maulana Journal Azad of Tourism Library, and Heritage, Aligarh1(1), 1-8. Muslim University Oberholzer, S; et; al (2010). The Socio-Economic Impacts of Africa‟s oldest marine Park, African Protected Area Conservation and Science, 52(1), 1-9

Shashi,. S, P. (2004). Tourism Education: Principles, Theories and Practices, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 12-26.

Chapter-I Conceptual Framework

Stephen, J. (2007). Tourism Management. Elsevier Limited, U.S.A, 10

Vukonic, B. (2002). Religion, Tourism and Economics, A Convenience Symbiosis, Tourism Recreation Research, 27(2), 241-249.

Wahab, S; and Pilgrim, J. J (1997). Tourism Development and Growth, The Challenger of Sustainability. Routledge London.

Hossain, J. M (2006). The Use of Promotional Activities in the Tourism Industry: The Case of Bangladesh, An unpubished M.Sc. Thesis in Business Administration, Blekinge Institute of Technology School of Management, 15.

Kamra, K; and Chand, M. (2007), Basics of Tourism: Theory, Practice and Operation. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 30.

Kaul, N. R. (2002). Dynamics of Tourism. Sterling publications, New Delhi, 4.

Robinson, H. (1976). A Geography of Tourism. MacDonell and Evans Limited Plymouth, 53-54.

Shashi, S. P. (2004). Tourism Education: Principles, Theories and Practices. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 12-14.

Towner, J; and France, L. (1992). Rapid Rural Appraisal Technique, The Application to Geographical Studies of Tourism, Tourism Recreation Research, 17, 48-53.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Kashmir is one of the three meso regions of Jammu and Kashmir State. It is nestled in the north-western folds of the Himalayas and is surrounded on almost all sides by mountains ranges, characterised by snow-covered lofty peaks. It has a unique geographical personality and often been termed as paradise on earth. It is well endowed in renewable natural resources and its mighty rivers, glaciers, evergreen forests, beautiful hills, cool air, attractive tourist places, beautiful valleys, rivers with ice-cold water, attractive lakes and springs, almonds, walnuts, apples and saffron are famous and unparallel in the world. It is also widely popular for its different kinds of herbs, minerals and precious stones. It also earned world fame and name because of its high quality of handicraft products like woollen carpets, shawls and finest kind of embroidery on clothes which are being sold not only in the national markets but also at global level.

2.1 General Setting

Kashmir belongs to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies in the northern part of India and stretches between 32o 22`N to 34o 43`N latitude and 73o 52`E to 75o 42`E longitude. Kashmir nestled, in the north-western folds of the Himalayas and is surrounded on almost all sides by mountains ranges, characterised by snow-covered lofty peaks. It is situated at an average height of 18,50 metres (6070 ft) above sea level but the Pir-Panjal range has an average elevation of 5,000 metres (16,000) (Lawrence, 1999). The mountain ranges rising to a height of 5,550 metres on the northeast dip down to about 2,770 meters in the south, where the Banihal - pass (Jawahar Tunnel) offers an exit from the valley (Hussain, 1998).

Kashmir is bounded on the south and south-west by the districts of Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch of Jammu Division. On the north-west and north it shares its boundary with Pakistan occupied Kashmir, and on the north-east, it is surrounded by Kargil district of Ladakh Division. It has a unique geographical personality and often been termed as paradise on earth. It is well endowed in renewable natural resources and its mighty rivers, glaciers, evergreen forests, snow-covered peaks, cool air, attractive Maulanatourist places, Azad beautiful Library,valleys, rivers with Aligarh ice-cold water, Muslim attractive lakes University and springs, almonds, walnuts, apples and saffron are famous and unparallel in the world. Kashmir is also widely popular for its different kinds of herbs, minerals, precious stones handicrafts like woollen carpets, shawls and finest kind of embroidery on clothes (Khan, 2007).

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

The total geographical area of Kashmir is about 5838 sq. miles (15120 sq.km), which is 15.73 percent of total area of the state. The spindle-shaped valley has a basin of about 84 miles (135 km) long from southeast to northwest and 25 miles (42 km) wide from southwest to north-east. Thus in an area of 15,120 sq. km., about 70 lakh people inhabit resulting in a density of 433 persons per sq.km. It constitutes about 55 percent of total population of Jammu and Kashmir and has only 0.57 percent of the country‟s population (Census, 2011).

Maulana Azad Library,Figure Aligarh 2.1 Muslim University

For administrative purpose, Kashmir is the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State and is demarcated into ten districts; Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Bandipora, Kupwara, Pulwama, Srinagar, Shopian, Ganderbal and Kulgam (Figure 2.1). These

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

districts have been subdivided into 39 tehsils and 60 blocks. The detail of the administrative divisions of Kashmir has been given in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: Administrative Divisions of Kashmir (2011). Districts No. of CD Blocks No. of Total Area in Sq. Villages Tehsils Population Kms Srinagar 136 1 2 1236829 1979 Anantnag 342 8 6 1078692 3574 Baramulla 518 12 8 1008039 4243 Kupwara 362 11 3 870354 2379 Pulwama 329 5 4 560440 1086 Budgam 474 8 6 753745 1361 Kulgam 231 6 3 424483 404 Ganderbal 115 4 3 297446 259 Shopian 229 2 1 266215 312 Bandipora 122 4 3 392232 345 Total 2858 60 39 6888475 15942 Source: Census of India, 2011.

2.2 Historical Setting

The name “Kashmir” implies land desiccated from water. In Sanskrit “Ka” (the water) and “Shimeera” (to desiccate). According to Hindu mythology, Sage Kashyapa drained a lake to produce the land now popularly known as Kashmir. There are various thoughts about the historical backgrounds of Kashmir. In Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir written in 12th century by Kalhan, he stated that Kashmir was formerly a great lake called Satisar. This lake was drained by the great rishi or sage Kashyapa, by cutting the mountains at Baramulla (or the Sanskrit name of Varaha Mukh), he asked Brahmans to settle there. From then the valley has got the name of its founder Kashyapa, which gradually changed to Kashyapamar and later Kashmir. But according to geologists view, a strong earthquake caused a great gorge and fissure at Baramulla through which the water escaped and joined the sea leaving behind lacustrine mud on the margins of the mountains known as karewas. These karewas formation indicate that the Kashmir has Maulanabeen subjected Azad to volcanic Library, and tectonic activity Aligarh (Mayer, 2007) Muslim. University

The history of Kashmir is divided into four periods; the early period of Hindu kings; the period of the Kashmir Musalmans, known as Salatini Kashmir; the period of Mughals, known as Shahan-i-Mughalia; and the period of Pathans, known as the

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Shahan-i-Durani. Each of these periods would furnish much of historical interest (Lawrence, 2005).

In the first half of the 1st millennium, the Kashmir region became an important centre of Hinduism and later of Buddhism, the state was incorporated into the Mauryan Empire under King Ashoka. He introduced Buddhism in Kashmir and Buddhism became the principal religion which continued into the times of the Kushanas (1st and 2nd centuries AD), thereafter Buddhism declined in the Valley and continues to flourish in Ladakh.

In the 8th century, Kashmir rose to become the centre of a great kingdom, across much of North India and parts of Central Asia under Lalitaditya Muktapida, who was the founder of the Valley‟s Irrigation canal system. In 1323 A.D Kashmir passed into the hands of Muslims rulers, and Renchen Shah adopted Islam and became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir. In 1343 Shah Mirza (Shah Mir) inaugurating the Salatin-i-Kashmir or Swati dynasty. The period of 1417 A.D is the ruling period of Sultan Zain-ul-Ab-ul-din one of the best Muslim kings and his reign of fifty two years are even now quoted by Kashmiris as the happiest period of their history. During his reign art, culture and science flourished in Kashmir. Many public structures were built after his name. The Chak rule began in Kashmir in 1561 and lasted till 1587 when Akbar, the great Mughal Emperor conquered Kashmir and it passed from the period of the Sultans of Kashmir into the period of Mughal Emperors. The Mughal remained in power here from 1587 to 1752 and in this period undoubtedly the people enjoyed the peace and orderly government. The Mughal had a deep influence on this land and introduced various reforms in the revenue industry and other areas that added to the progress of Kashmir.

But Aurangzeb‟s successor was a weak ruler and in 1752 the Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali seized Kashmir. His reign is remembered as one of the most terrible in Kashmir‟s entire history and it was the darkest period in the entire history of Kashmir. In 1819, the Sikh ruler of Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh ejected Pathans from Kashmir with the help of the Dogra Army of Jammu and ruled Kashmir till their defeat by the British in Maulana1846. Thereafter, Azad Maharaja Library,Gulab Singh of AligarhJammu paid Rs. Muslim 75 lakhs to the University East India Company in exchange for Kashmir under the Treaty of Amritsar and became the new ruler of Kashmir. The rule of his descends lasted until 1947, when the former princely state became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries India, Pakistan and China (Lawrence, 2005).

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.3 Physical Setting 2.3.1 Geology and Stratigraphy

According to geologists view, the floor of Kashmir was once occupied by large lake called Satisar, and it was earlier affected by a devastating earthquake that broke the mountain wall at Baramulla and created an open way for water and the water of the Satisar lake flowed out leaving behind lacustrine mud on the margins of the mountains known as karewas which are found almost in every part of Kashmir division. These karewas formations indicate that the Kashmir has been subjected to tectonic activity, thus the oval shaped but irregular Valley of Kashmir came into existence.

Kashmir Valley carries one of the finest developed sequences of rocks right from the Archean Era to the Recent Age. The spatial distribution of rocks of different geological periods is given as follows:

Archean: These are the first rocks upon which the subsequent strata have been accumulated. These rocks have been found in isolated localities, and are known as “salkhalas” this series is found in Karnah, Bandipora, Handwara, Kupwara and Uri tehsils. These rocks include granites, gneisses, and schists. These rocks are metamorphic in nature.

Palaeozoic (Dravidian Group): These rocks are divisible into the Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian system. The Silurian rocks consist sandy shales, shale, sand stones, and yellow lime stones and are found near Aishmuqam and parts of Lidder valley. The Devonian rocks lie on both the banks of Lidder as thick beds of quartzite. They are also found in Handwara, Kupwara and Karnah tehsils in the north-western parts of Kashmir. Carboniferous rocks lie comfortably over the quartzite of Devonian age in Aishmuqam, Kotsu, Gulmarg, Panjal-Range Zanskar- Range and Banihal Valley. The Permian rocks are composed of shale, darkarnacious shale and limestone. These formations are found in Pirpanjal, Upper Sindh, Lidder Valley, Zowar and Khanmu.

Mesozoic-Era: The period of „middle life‟ comprises of Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Maulanasystems. Triassic Azad series Library,mainly comprise sAligarh of carbonate limestone Muslim and quartzite. University The beds form the source of numerous fresh water springs. The Triassic formations are found in the Doru, Anantnag, Pahalgam, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora and Kulgam tehsil. The Jurassic formation is found in the Banihal. The Cretaceous formations are found in Astor, Burzil, Dras and Ladakh.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Cainozoic Era: Cainozoic comprises the Eocene and Recent Pleistocene systems. The Kerawas of Kashmir and river terraces of Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi came into existence during the Eocene Period. The new alluviums of these rivers fall in the recent period of Cainozoic Era (Mayer, 2007).

On the basis of stratigraphy and altitude, the Kashmir is be divided into the four physiographic units.

(1) The Jhelum valley floor

The Jhelum valley floor includes the floodplains and Bahil tracts. The valley floor spreads from Khanbal (Anantnag) in the South-east up to Baramulla town in the northwest. The region has rich deposits of aluminium, deposited by Jhelum and its tributaries. It is known as “Rice bowl of Kashmir”. The valley is the hub of economic activities. Paddy and orchard fields dominate the agriculture landscape. It has an elaborate road transport system and enormous potential tourist development. Almost all the urban places of the Kashmir Division are situated in the Jhelum valley region. The valley has a rich cover of vegetation including green grasses, beautiful plants, and tall trees.

(2) The Kerewas (Wudars)

The Kerawas (Wudars) are unique physical features of Kashmir valley. Kerawas are flat-topped or undulating surfaces mounds on the sides of Jhelum floodplains flanking the surrounding mountain precipices. These are formed of clay, sand, and silts of lacustrine origin. They extend over an area of about 80 Kms from Kulgam in the south- east to Baramulla along the eastern side of the valley. The width of the Karewas varies from between 13 Km to 25 km on the left bank of the Jhelum. On the right bank of Jhelum, the Karewas are discontinuous features like tablelands. On the left bank of river Jhelum, the Karewas extend as far as the North western end and are very massive.

The Kerawas are mostly found in areas of Mattan, Zainapura, Bijbhera, Barapur, Nagam, Damodar, Safapora, Handwara, Bandipora etc. The Kerawas have a great Maulanaeconomic and agriculturalAzad Library, importance. Commercial Aligarh cash cropsMuslim like almond, University walnut, apples, peaches, pears and saffron are cultivated in the Kerawas. The higher reaches of kerawas are generally under maize cultivation while the flat-topped levelled areas are mostly famous for saffron cultivation.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

(3) The side-valley

The valleys formed along the sides of the major tributaries of Jhelum have been termed as the side valleys. These valleys have relatively steep gradients owing to which the insulation rate is low and winters are severe. Their soils are immature and deficient in humus content. Paddy cultivation is confined to flat irrigated fields, while undulating terraces and Kandi tracts are devoted to maize and paddy cultivation. Side valleys like Sindh valley, Naranag valley, Lidder valley, Lolab valley and Daksum are occupied by Gujjars who are largely dependent on pastoral activities.

(4) The Greater Himalayas

The Greater Himalayas in the State of J & K lies to the north of Kashmir division and to north-east of Jammu Division. They separate the valley of Indus from that of Jhelum river. In the State of J & K the Greater Himalayas are known as Zanskar. The average altitude of Zanskar range is about 5490 meters. The area has most severe climate and as low as -40 0C temperature is recorded at Dras during the winter season. The growing season in Suru valley is short and people generally keep goats, sheep, and ponies for their sustenance. In summer they grove vegetable, oats, and coarse grains (Hussain, 1998).

2.3.2 Drainage System

Water in Kashmir is an extraordinary paradox. In fact, its water features are the principal components of its scenic beauty. Water is most plentiful in the low-lying parts of the Kashmir. Only due to the snowfall the rivers in the region are perennial. The large ice in the form of glaciers in the Kashmir is the main source of water throughout the year.

The Jhelum and a host of streams that drains the bordering mountain slopes together constitute the drainage network of Kashmir valley. These streams include the fairly developed systems of Sindh, Rembiara, Lidder, and the Pohru rivers as well as tiny rivulets such as Sandran, Erin and the Viji. Kashmir fluvial system has distinctive characteristics of its own. They have evolved in the course of a chequered history marked Maulanaby amazing changesAzad in level,Library, rejuvenating Aligarh at one time and Muslimthe other becoming University sluggish, or even choking their channels with their own debris with consequent diversion and the ever-threatening process of mutual piracy (Raza, 1978). In broadly the drainage network of Kashmir valley is grouped into two main categories:

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

1. The Pir Panjal Drainage (Left bank Drainage System)

This drainage system constitutes all those streams that drain Pir Panjal chain of mountains from Doru tehsil of Anantnag to Uri tehsil of Baramulla district and joins the Jhelum from the left bank. Its main tributaries are: Vishav, Romushi, Dudhganga, Sukhnag, Firozpore Nallah, Rambaria and Ningal.

2. The Himalayan Drainage (Right bank Drainage system)

The Himalayan drainage includes all those tributaries, which flow from Doru in Anantnag district to Karnah in the Kupwara district. All these tributaries meet the Jhelum from the right and therefore they are known as right bank tributaries. These right bank tributaries are: Sandran, Bring, Arapath, Lidder, Arapal, Harwan, Madhumati, Pohru, Sind Nallah and Viji.

The confluence of the tributaries of these two groups rises to the mainstream known as Jhelum River. Jhelum has a vital importance in the regional structure of Kashmir valley. It has a binding force, which gave coherence to the Kashmir valley.

Jhelum

The Jhelum (Vyeth in Kashmiri, Vitasta in Sanskrit and Hydaspes in Greek) is the main source of water in Kashmir. Alburuni has given its name as “Jhelum” and continues until today. It rises from a beautiful spring at verinag in Doru tehsil of Anantnag district. This spring is situated at the foot of a spur of the Pir Panjal Mountain at an altitude of 300 metres above sea level. The Kashmiri people especially Kashmiri Pandits worship the river (vitasta), which is identified with goddess Parvathi in the Hindu religion. Many legends are associated with the name and origin of Jhelum River in Kashmir.

After flowing from this pool of water it immediately finds itself in a flat plain and flows to a distance of 25.6 Kms to Khanbal in a north-westerly direction like a nallah (small stream). Near village Khanbal in Anantnag where the water of Sandran and Bring streams from south-east and Arapat stream from north east join with the nallah and there Maulanaafter the Jhelum Azad takes the shapeLibrary, of a river. AligarhAfter receiving Muslim the water of Lidder University stream flowing from Pahalgam glacial zone below Khanbal. Below the town Bijbehara at village Sangam the river is joined by the streams of Vishnu and Rambiria the first Pirpanjal tributaries. From Khanbal to Awantipora Jhelum flows along the boundaries of Bijbehera, Kulgam, Pulwama and tral tehsils. The Jhelum leaves Pulwama at Pampore and enters Srinagar tehsil. The flow of water in the city is reduced considerably as few channels 54

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

have been carved out to distribute its water. These channels rejoin the main river in the city itself at Chattabal. Below chattabal the Jhelum is joined by Dodhganga and Shaliganga streams. After leaving Srinagar city Jhelum flows through extreme north of budgam tehsil for a short distance and enters the Sonawari tehsil near village Mirgund of Bandipora district and joined by Sindh nallah at its right bank at village Shadipora and then joins the Wullar lake, the largest fresh water lake in Asia. From Khanbal to Wular Lake the Jhelum river is fully navigable and it runs for a distance of about 113 kilometres.

After leaving the Wular Lake, it takes a south-westerly direction to Baramulla and is joined by Pohru at Doabgah near Sopore. Below the Baramulla the nature of the Jhelum entirely changes from sluggish to roaring torrent passing over rapid and steep slopes of Baramulla Gorge across the mountains and finally changes its direction from south-west to west and leaves the Kashmir and it enters the boundary of Pakistan. This part is not navigable, as the river makes a very deep bed and acquires a swift flow. In Kashmir the total length of Jhelum is about 177 Kms. The maximum and minimum discharge of Jhelum is about 29,600 m3 and 112 m3. The Jhelum flood plain is 1,585 m above sea level. In India it is 400 Kilometres long and drains 28,490 sq. Km (Mayer, 2007).

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Source: Department of Irrigation, J&K Figure 2.2 55

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.3.3 Climate

The State of Jammu and Kashmir is situated in sub tropical latitudes, but owing to its orographic features and snow clad peaks the climate over the greater part of the state resembles that of mountainous and continental parts of the temperate latitudes. Like the rest of the country the climate of Kashmir is also characterized by a marked seasonality. The region is surrounded by Himalayan Ranges has a modified temperate climate. During the course of the year, the weather varies from long cold and wet Spring, extending from March to mid-May, Warm and comparatively dry summer, cold damp and snowy winter and a Sunny, warm autumn. Until the middle of June, the weather is pleasant but there is an apparent change in climate with altitude as the altitude rises towards the meadow slopes (margs) of surrounding mountains, the temperature rises up to 24 0C at Srinagar (altitude 1600 m) and decreases to 10 0C at an elevation of 3,600 m.

The average temperature of Kashmir ranges from a daily maximum of 30.8 0C and minimum of 12.5 0C in July to an average daily maximum of 4 0C and minimum of -3 0C in January. Both the daily maximum and minimum temperatures start falling by August and are quite low by October, although radiation from the earth is rapid in the later months, September and October have the highest diurnal ranges. The maximum daily humidity ranges from 80-90 % throughout the year and drops to 70 % at night during the winter and 40 % during the summer. The average rainfall at Srinagar is 659 mm per annum and most of the precipitation occurs in the form of snow during winter and early spring but the snow falls on the higher slopes/altitudes are much heavier.

2.3.4 Seasons

Kashmir weather has a marked seasonality. On the basis of temperature and precipitation throughout the year Kashmir has been divided into four seasons:

(i) Winter Season (November to January). (ii) Spring season (March to Mid May) (iii) Summer Season (Mid May to Mid September) Maulana(iv) Autumn Azad Season (MidLibrary, September toAligarh October) Muslim University Winter Season: The season of winter (locally known as Wandah) in Kashmir is dominated by atmospheric disturbances called the western disturbances. These disturbances have their origin in the Mediterranean Sea. This season is the coldest seasons of the year when the temperature is quite low. The winter daily maximum temperature

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

varies from about 15 0C in November to about 2 0C in January and the daily minimum temperature varies from -0.1 to -2.3 during the same period.

January is the coldest month of the year in which Kashmir is locally known as the period of Chillai-Kalan (period of Snowy Cold). During this period most of the lakes of Kashmir valley remained under frozen and they became the playgrounds for the sportsman of Srinagar and foreign tourists. Snowfall mostly occurs between the middle of December to the middle of March. In Kashmir during the winter season, rainfall mostly occurs from western disturbances also known as temperate cyclones. The maximum snow occurs in the month of January. On the average, the three months of December, January, and February receive about 120 cm. of snow, out of which about 50 cm. (41.58 percent) is recorded in the month of January.

Spring Season: Spring season (locally known as sont) is the rainiest season in most parts of the valley. At the advent of March the weather starts improving and the temperature starts moving up steadily and snow disappears but sometimes snowing may take place even in March. March is the rainiest month of the year. Almost all the places of Kashmir receives 30 to 40 percent of total rainfall in Spring Season. This season is often associated with violent thunder showers and hailstones which damage the almond and apple orchards adversely. The frequency of western disturbances remains equally high in early spring and declines substantially as summer advances.

The spring weather in Kashmir is characterized by sunnier and brighter days and cool nights. The day temperature fluctuates between 12 0C and 15 0C. The mean minimum temperature remains around 3.5 0C as a result nights are cool in this season. The day temperature in April and May shoots up abruptly. The night temperature also registers a steady increase from 3.5 0C in March and 12 0C in May. In May the mean maximum and minimum temperature is about 25 0C and 12 0C respectively.

With the steady increase in temperature in the spring season, the lush green grass develops over the surface and leaves appear and the dormant vegetation. This is the Maulanaseason when Azad Kashmir is Library,in full bloom and Aligarh the almond, apple, Muslim peach, and pearUniversity flowers add more fragrance to the fresh air of valley. An agriculture activity which remains suspended during long winters is again started in this season. The seeds of vegetables are germinated in the Radhs (floating gardens) of the Dal Lake and the Damp fields. Ploughing of paddy fields and sowing of rice nurseries are beginning in the early parts of May.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Summer Season: In Kashmir, June to September is the period of the summer season which is locally known as Retkol. The mean monthly temperature of June at Srinagar is being about 22 0C. July is the hottest month of the summer season in which absolute temperature on a particular day may shoot up to 37 0C. The maximum and minimum temperature in July and August is about 30 0C and 15 0C respectively. The day temperature remains high and constant between June and September with high humidity (70-80 percent) makes the weather very oppressive. But in the surrounding hills, the summer remains pleasant. The day temperature in Gulmarg during July and August remains at about 21.4 0C and 20.3 0C.

In the summer season the Kashmir valley receives less than one-fourth of the total annual rainfall because the Pir-Panjal Range obstructs the inflow of monsoon winds in the valley. June to September is the period of the summer monsoon. During the summer season the whole valley turns into a mosaic of varying shades of green.There is a heavy flow of tourists found in the Valley in the summer season. The high temperature of June and July help in the rapid sprouting and development of paddy and vegetable crops and other fruits.

Autumn Season: Autumn season is locally known as Harud. September and October are the months of the autumn season in Kashmir. These months are the transition from the warm sub-tropical summers to temperate winters. Autumn season is characterized by least disturbed weather, highest amount of sunshine, high diurnal range of temperature and little rain. It is the most enjoyable weather in Kashmir which attracts a large number of tourists from every corner of the world.

In September, the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures remains about 25 0C and 11 0C. The cool nights and warm days of September and October help in the ripening of walnut, almond, apples and the later period of October is favourable for the emergence of saffron flowers. This is the season of harvesting of different kinds of horticulture and agriculture crops (Raza, 1978). MaulanaKashmiris Azad however ,Library, recognize the followingAligarh six seasons Muslim with duration University of two months each. This classification is based on the empirical observation of people about climatic conditions during different periods of time.

(i) Sonth (Spring) – Mid March to Mid May (ii) Grishim (Summer) – Mid May to July

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

(iii) Wahrat (rains) – Mid July to Mid September (iv) Hardu (autumn) – Mid September to Mid November (v) Wand (Winter) – Mid November to Mid January (vi) Sheshur (Severe Cold) – Mid January to Mid March

2.3.5 Flora and Fauna

The character of natural vegetation in a region is the outcome of the environmental complex, which exercises its influence, among other things through soil and climate. Structure, relief, altitude and other aspects also play a vital role in influencing the vegetation cover of a region. However, Kashmir presents a highly varied picture in respect of physical configuration, altitude, soil and climatic variables such as temperature, moisture, intensity and duration of sunshine and atmospheric humidity. All these exercises a definite influence on the form, size and type of characteristic vegetation found in varied assemblages and association pattern in different parts of the region both horizontally and vertically.

Due to the factors affecting the natural vegetation, Kashmir has varied natural vegetation. It is luxuriant and well developed or stunted in tracts when edaphic and climatic factors stop its growth. The ancient vegetation has however, been substantially modified by climatic change and millennia of human influences, as evident from intensive exploitation, clearance of forest cover for agriculture and indiscriminate felling and overgrazing.

The vegetation of Kashmir may be systematically studied in broad typological divisions such as:

(i) Forests (ii) Grasslands

But there are many other types belonging to the intermediary varieties which appear as undergrowth in the forests or extensively cover the hill slopes, uncultivated tracts along the river banks, and lakes. Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University 2.3.5.1 Forests

Forests are one of the most important resources of Kashmir which plays an important role in the climatic condition of Kashmir. According to Digest of Forest Statistics 2011, the total forest area present in the Kashmir is 8128 Sq. Kms which is

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

50.97 percent of the total area of the region. District wise availability of the forest in Kashmir has been given in Table 2.2 and Figure 2.3. At district level, highest area forest area has been found in Kupwara district i.e. 71.58 percent followed by Baramulla 58.63 percent, while lowest forest area has been recorded in Srinagar District i.e. 17.06 percent of the total area followed by Budgam 34.79 percent (Digest of Forest Statistics, 2011).

Table 2.2: District-wise Percentage of Forest Area to the total Area in Kashmir (2011)

Districts Geographical Forest Area Percentage of Of Area (Sq. Km.) Forest area to Kashmir (Sq. Km.) Geographical area Anantnag 3984.00 2068.00 51.91 Pulwama 1398.00 810.00 57.94 Srinagar 2228.00 380.00 17.06 Budgam 1371.00 477.00 34.79 Baramulla 4588.00 2690.00 58.63 Kupwara 2379.00 1703.00 71.58 Total 15948.00 8128.00 50.97 Source: Digest of Forest Statistics Government of Jammu and Kashmir (2011-12)

District-Wise Percentage of Forest Area (2011-12)

Anantnag (51.91) Kupwara (71.58)

Pulwama (57.94)

Baramulla (58.63)

Srinagar (17.06) Budgam (34.79)

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Figure 2.3

Forests require an abundance of moisture in the soil. So they are found in the areas where there is sufficient rainfall or along the banks of the rivers where sufficient water is available. In Kashmir, forests are mainly found in the areas where annual rainfall is about

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

100 cms. The region has deciduous vegetation. The Chinar, Poplar, Deodar, Fir, Pine, Kail, Partal, Mulberry, Walnut and other fruit trees are grown throughout the valley (Khan, 1971). The slopes of Pir Panjal and Zanskar above 1500 m. to 3000 m. are dominated by coniferous vegetation, the dominant species being deodar (Cedrus Deodara), Pine (Pinus), Silver-fir (Abies Alba), Spruce (Picea), Laural, Elm, and Paper birch (burza). The northern slopes of Pir-Panjal have dominance of deodar, blue-pines with deciduous shrubs, while the Jhelum Forest Division (stretching over Gulmarg and Lolab Valley) is dominated by cedar, fir and spruce species of conifers. In the flat valley of Kashmir, popular, chinar, willows are the main species of vegetation which are deciduous in nature. During the autumn season when temperature is low and soil moisture level increases due to occurrences of dew and frost, these trees drop their leaves and these leaves are converted into charcoal which is used as fuel in kangris (fire pot) during winter.

Most of the species are utilized for fuel, wood and timber. The system of farming- out timber to contractors has resulted in the destruction of many fine forests. The tracts which the contractors have suffered at the hands of Gujjars who cut down trees for the sake of fuelwood, fodder, etc. Moreover, the inadequacy of hydel and the thermal electricity and the severe cold in winters have put the people in a position which attempt them to cut trees and their twigs.

Kashmir abounds in rich flora. It has been described as the „Paradise‟ on earth. The most significant tree in Kashmir valley is chinar called (Bonne) in local language, which is found throughout the Kashmir. It grows to giant size and girth and grows up to a height of 25 meters and a girth exceeding 50 feet in certain cases. Chinar called Boone in the Kashmiri language, is an integral part of Kashmiri culture. Cool breeze can feel by people under the shadow of this majestic tree, which is very conductive to health. Chinar tree is the most magnificent tree in Kashmir and one of the most wonderful in the world. Its timber is used for making oil-presses, boxes of all kinds and furniture. Kashmir also abounds with Pine trees. These trees are generally sun-loving and relatively shade Maulanaintolerant. ThisAzad evergreen Library, conifer tree Aligarh has dense branches Muslim and produces University long dark needles. The pine tree is grown in both urban as well as rural areas.

Almond is another important tree which has great importance in not only Kashmir but also throughout the world. This tree is native to the Mediterranean region, this beautiful tree has adapted to the climate of Kashmir. Almond trees grow up to a height of

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

15 m and large oval leaves tinged with red and fleshy fruits. These fruits to turn bright red from green during the phase. These types of fruits are very aromatic and sweet and are considered the healthiest nuts to eat because they have the highest protein content. Almonds are also a rich source of calcium and many minerals, such as potassium and phosphorous. Almonds help in lowering the cholesterol levels and contain oleic acid, which helps to maintain a healthy heart.

The walnut belongs to the small order of trees and shrubs known as Juglandeae. Walnut trees are very large, ranging from 50 to 75 feet in height and width. Kashmir is the only region in India where walnuts are grown. The natural shine, colour and grains are indeed exceptional and unique. The Walnut wood is almost black. This wood is mostly used for making carvings and furniture. The silver fur has durable wood, free from knots and consequently easy to work. This tree grows to great size, ranging in some cases to one hundred and fifty feet in length and sixteen feet in girth. The elm is a dine tree and is used for ploughs and buildings. Belladonna grows well among the firs, and its roots and leaves which are used in pharmaceutical processes, yield about 500 mounds. The Drug Research Laboratory makes considerable use of Bella Donna. The scattered wild growth of this plant is being framed out on a large scale at Tangmarg with considerable success.

2.3.5.2 Grasslands

In Kashmir the climatic and edaphic conditions, particularly in the surrounding highlands, favours the growth of a variety of temperate and variety of alpine species of grasses. These pastures are of immense economic significance to the Gujjar bakarwals whose transhumant, pastoral economy is based on them. They also play a vital role in discomforting run-off and soil erosion from the steep slopes with a thin soil cover. An abundant supply of moisture and sunshine are the only necessary conditions required for the growth of grasses in these highland meadows, called Margs. These pastures cover extensive areas on the periphery of glaciers on tracts having glacial moraines and other deposits providing the soil base for the rapid regeneration of grasses under optimal climatic conditions. The grasslands of Kashmir are a temperate variation of the Maulanamesophiclones group.Azad They Library, are recognized asAligarh bioedaphic communities. Muslim The University grasslands occupy about one-tenth of the total tehsil area of the valley. The main pastures have been depicted; they are subjected to intensive grazing by Gujjar pastoral groups who cross the Pir-Panjal range with their herds of goat and sheep during summer.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.3.5.3 Fauna

Kashmir has a great diversity in the physiography, climate and vegetation. This diversity in geo-ecological conditions provides the required habitats to varied animals kingdoms. The fauna of Kashmir differs from altitude to altitude. In general Leopard, Tiger, Bear, Wolf, Foxes, Deer, Hangul, Wildcats are the major wild beasts. However, their population is decreasing due to the over-interaction of a man with nature and has encroachment in the forest and natural areas. Musk-deer, monkeys, langurs, white bear, wild pig have their habitats between 2,000 and 3,500 metres. They shift their place of stay seasonally i.e. in winters they descend at lower heights and in summers they ascend to higher altitudes. The higher reaches of Pir-Panjal are the abodes of these animals. Leopard, Cheetah, Wolves and Foxes are found in the forests of Pir-Panjal, Liddar, Uri, Kupwara etc. Black bear and Hangul are very common in Lolab, Liddar, and Uri tracts. Snow Partridge, Himalayan-cock, Cuckoo, Larks, Bulbuls, Quil, Parrots, Pigeon, Ducks, Vulture, Crow, Eagle etc are the main birds found in the Kashmir (Hussain, 1998).

2.3.6 Soils

Soils of Kashmir vary in origin from alluvial to lacustrine and glacial. This variations have been caused mainly by climatic processes and have little relation to the parent rock. They have evolved through a long geomorphic history. The soil cover has an enormous thickness in the bowl of Kashmir and its adjoining terraces where massive deposition has taken place since Pleistocene times. It is richest in the low lying areas along the Jhelum, where it is periodically renewed enriched by floods which are recurrent phenomena in the region. The thickness and fertility of soil cover status however deteriorated with altitude. In the highlands, the rock bed is often devoid of soil cover as the slope is too steep and low temperatures and strong winds keep soil forming processes in suspension. The soils of Kashmir with reference to broad physiographic divisions are:

2.3.6.1 Valley Soils

These soils are found in the valley basin and side valleys of the Jhelum up to Maulana1,850 metres. Azad These soilsLibrary, are most productiveAligarh and areMuslim largely devoted University to paddy cultivation. Being highly fertile these soils are giving crops of high yielding varieties of rice and wheat in areas of controlled irrigation. These soils abound in nitrogen content, organic matter, and other plant nutrients which raise their fertility status. They have high

content of P2O5 and K2O and are fairly rich in Ca and Mg with pH value of 6.5 to 7.2.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.3.6.2 Highland Soils

These soils are mainly found on highlands between 1,850 and 3,350 metres above sea level. These soils are deficient in bases and become more and more acidic. In the high lands, there is more steep slope which affects run-off and drainage. There is the lesser absorption of water in the soil on the steep slopes. The run-off also washes away more of the weathered rocks on steep slopes. The soils in the high lands are shallow, immature and highly susceptible to soil erosion. These soils are acidic character and are deficient in potash, phosphoric and lime and need manuring and fertilization for good yields. The humus content varies from slope and altitude to altitude. These soils are mostly used for cultivation of maize, orchards (apple, pear, peach), pulses, fodder etc. (Raza, 1978).

2.3.6.2 Karewas Soils

Karewas are freshwater (fluviatile and lacustrine) deposits, found as low flat mounds or elevated plateaus in Kashmir and has been deposited in the Pleistocene period. Karewas soils are composed of blue, grey and buff silts, sand and partly compact conglomerates and embedded morains. These soils roughly cover an area of thirteen to twenty-five kilometre in width and one hundred thirty kilometres in length. Thus covers half of the total soils of Kashmir. Karewas occur on both sides of river Jhelum, but the karewas on the left side are more massive in extension than on the right side. These soils are poor and are mostly composed of silts. The colour of the soil varies from light to red- hue soil resembling gurti to dark blackish soil known as Surhzamin. Surhzamin is rated as highly fertile followed by red gurti, while the yellow-hued soil is regarded as infertile. These soils are largely devoid of mineral wealth (Khan, 2007) and lacks in organic matter. The moisture retaining capacity is very poor as the upper layer has a high sand

content. It is poor in nitrogen content (0.086) and in CaO (0.395) with Ph value of 7.5.

Karewas soils are mostly found in Kulgam, Shopian, Badgam, Qazigund, Tangmarg, Gulmarg, Awantipora, Pampore, Islamabad, Baramulla, Handwara, Mattan, Ganderbal and Tral. Karewas soils are of great economic importance as they are generally Maulanadevoted to saffron, Azad almond, Library, walnut, apples andAligarh peaches. The Muslim higher reaches Universityof Karewas are under maize cultivation (Mayer, 2007).

However, the farmers of Kashmir valley also recognize soils with their local nomenclatures. They recognise the following major soil groups:

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Bahil: Bahil is a rich loam of great natural fertility. The humus content is high and does not need heavy manuring. The proportion of silt, clay and sand vary from region to region. The proportionate share of silt and clay progressively declines with the increasing distance from the flood plains of the Jhelum. The main zone of Bahil soils lies above the level of flood plains. It is darkish in colour and tends to light black when dry. This soil is ideally suitable for paddy cultivation. Gurti: Gurti soils contain a large proportion of clay and silt due to which water retaining capacity is high and can support good crops even in the years of scanty rainfall. The fertility status of gurti soil is high which further improved by recurrent floods. This type of soil is mostly found Achabal, Sopore, Verinag, Doru, Anantnag, Awantipora and Bandipora on the right bank while on left bank it is found in the areas of Kulgam, Baramulla, Shopian, Budgam, Bijbahera, Sumbal. Under scanty rainfall conditions, the soil gives poor agricultural returns. Sekil: With the increasing sand content in the soil the Bahil changes into sekil. It has a coarse texture and is a light loam with sandy subsoil. It is rich in humus content and may yield good crops under the condition of assured supply. This type of soil is found in the lower edges of Karewas in Kashmir. Dazanlad: This type of soil in mostly found in the low lying and swampy areas, particularly those on the left bank of Jhelum. The dazanlad soil is highly compact and heavy and is considered to be exceptionally good for paddy. Nambal (Peaty soil): The low lying tracts near the banks of Jhelum and in the vicinity of the Wular and Anchar lakes which remains waterlogged seasonally have the rich Nambal soil with high fertility status. In the years of normal rains and moderate snowfall, this type of soil gives a good yield of rape seeds, mustard, maize, and fodder. Karewa soils: The karewa soil is generally gurti. It is mostly found in the karewas of Pampore, Kulgam, Qazigund, Badgam, Tral, Baramulla and Ganderbal. The most productive karewa soil has blackish colour known as Surzamin. The red gurti is next best soil while as the yellow colour soil known as buff is worst of all for agricultural purposes. MaulanaTand: Tand Azad soils are mostlyLibrary, found on theAligarh slopes of mountains. Muslim Due toUniversity the impact of leaching and soil erosion such soils lose their productivity within six to ten years. Zabelzamin: Patches of irrigated land if excessively irrigated lose their fertility character and develop alkine formations such adversely affected lands are known as Zabelzamin.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Figure 2.4

2.4 Demographic Setting

The statistical analysis of population such as growth, size, distribution and density, which show the changing structure of human populations, is termed as demography. Population characteristics such as (size, growth, urban population, density, literacy, sex ratio) are the important components of demography. Kashmir is one of those regions in the country where both the demographic situation and level of socio-economic development remains far from satisfactory. The latest 2011 census reveals that the population of Kashmir is about 69 lakh sharing about 55 percent of total population of MaulanaJammu and Kashmir Azad and 0.57 Library, per cent of India‟s Aligarh population. MuslimThe population Universitygrowth rate in the Kashmir has been consistently high and during 2001-2011, the decadal growth was 26.27 per cent. Its geographical area is 15948 sq. km., with a share of 7.17 per cent of the total area of J&K and 0.50 percent of country‟s size. Total male population in Kashmir is about 3647466 while as the female constitutes 3260157 population of Kashmir.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.4.1 Growth of Population

The population of the Kashmir since 1991 has witnessed the positive growth rate. Table 2.3 and Figure 2.5 depict the decadal variation in population growth.

Table 2.3: Decadal Growth of Population in Kashmir (1901-2011) Census Total Absolute Decennial Year Population Decennial Variation (Percent) 1901 1028719 - - 1911 1146225 117506 11.42 1921 1241612 95387 8.32 1931 1387892 146280 11.78 1941 1526489 138597 9.99 1951 1712964 186475 12.21 1961 1899438 186474 10.89 1971 2435701 536263 28.23 1981 3134904 699203 28.71 1991 4168608 1033704 32.97 2001 5476970 1308362 31.39 2011 6888475 1411505 25.77 Source: Various District Census Handbooks, 1901, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 01, 2011.

The Table 2.3 and Figure 2.5 reveals that maximum population growth rate has been recorded during 1981-1991 i.e. 32.97 percent, while the lowest growth of population has been observed during 1911-1921 which is 8.32 percent. During the current census about 25.77 percent population growth in the study area has been observed from the preceding census.

Decadal Growth of Population

(1901-2011)

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Maulana(In Percent) Growth Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Total Decennial Variation

Figure 2.5

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Table 2.4: District-wise Population and Decadal Growth rate in Kashmir Valley (2001-2011) Percentage Decadal Districts Population 2011 Growth (Persons) 2001-2011 Total Male Female Total Male Female Population Srinagar 1236829 651124 585705 20.35 4.90 24.80 Anantnag 1078692 559767 518925 38.58 27.36 39.88 Baramulla 1008039 534733 473306 19.45 20.70 18.07 Kupwara 870354 474190 396164 33.82 38.94 28.17 Pulwama 560440 293064 267376 27.00 29.00 24.89 Budgam 753745 398041 355704 24.14 26.61 21.48 Kulgam 424483 217620 206863 7.73 7.42 8.05 Ganderbal 297446 158720 138726 36.50 39.66 33.05 Shopian 266215 136480 129735 25.97 25.95 25.98 Bandipora 392232 207680 184552 28.65 29.02 28.23 Total 6888475 3631419 3257056 25.77 26.21 25.28 Source: Census of India, 2011

District-Wise Decadal Growth of Population (2001-2011) 40 30

Growth in Percentage Growth 0

Total Male Female Figure 2.6

The distribution of population shows striking variation at the district level. MaulanaAccording to the Azad census 2011, Library, the major concentration Aligarh of populationMuslim has beenUniversity mostly found in the districts of Srinagar, Anantnag, and Baramulla. Out of total districts of Kashmir, Srinagar district has the highest population (12, 69751) constituting 10.12 percent of total population of state followed by district Anantnag, which has about 10,70144 population. While as district Shopian has the lowest population (2,65960)

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

covers 2.12 percent of total population. The little population is due to undulating topography and harsh climate which restrains people from setting here. The highest percentage of the population increased from the year 2001 to 2011 has been observed in Anantnag district i.e. 38.58 percent while as the lowest percentage (7.73) has been recorded from district Kulgam during the same period. At gender level, the highest percentage of the male population increased during the last decade has been found in Ganderbal 39.66 percent, while the lowest male population increased was 4.90 percent observed in Srinagar district. Similarly, the highest increased female population during the last decade was recorded in Anantnag 39.88 percent, while during the same period the lowest increased female population was observed in Kulgam district 8.05 percent.

2.4.2 Distribution of Population

The distribution of the population in any region is the result of physical (topography, climate, water and soil) as well as cultural factors (agriculture, irrigation and other facilities). Table 2.5 and Figure 2.7 depict district wise distribution of population in the study area. It has been observed that the total population of the Kashmir was 6888475 in 2011, out of which 3631419 were males and 3257056 were females. Out of the total population lowest number of the population both male and female has been found in Shopian district i.e. 266215 (3.86 percent) while the highest population has been recorded in Srinagar i.e. 1236829 (17.96 percent) of the total population.

Table 2.5: Kashmir: District-wise Classification of Population by Male and Female (2011) District Persons Male Female Srinagar 1236829 651124 585705 Anantnag 1078692 559767 518925 Baramulla 1008039 534733 473306 Kupwara 870354 474190 396164 Pulwama 560440 293064 267376 Budgam 753745 398041 355704 Kulgam 424483 217620 206863 MaulanaGanderbal Azad Library,297446 Aligarh158720 Muslim University138726 Shopian 266215 136480 129735 Bandipora 392232 207680 184552 Total 6888475 3631419 3257056 Source: Census of India, 2011

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Figure 2.7

Table 2.6: District-wise Classification of Population by Rural and Urban (2011) Districts Rural Percent Urban Percent Total Percent Srinagar 17313 0.37 1219516 56.01 1236829 17.96 Anantnag 795805 16.89 282887 12.99 1078692 15.66 Baramulla 825539 17.52 182500 8.38 1008039 14.63 Kupwara 765625 16.25 104729 4.81 870354 12.63 Pulwama 479978 10.19 80462 3.70 560440 8.14 Budgam 655833 13.92 97912 4.50 753745 10.94 MaulanaKulgam Azad343870 Library,7.30 Aligarh80613 3.70 Muslim 424483 University6.16 Ganderbal 250407 5.32 47039 2.16 297446 4.32 Shopian 249855 5.30 16360 0.75 266215 3.86 Bandipora 326871 6.94 65361 3.00 392232 5.69 Total 4711096 100.00 2177379 100.00 6888475 100.00 Source: Census of India, 2011.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Table 2.6 depicts district wise distribution of rural and urban population among the districts is not uniform. Out of total population of Kashmir, 4711096 are in rural and 2177379 are in urban areas. The highest number of the rural population has been observed in Baramulla district (825539) i.e. 17.52 percent, while the lowest rural population has been recorded in Srinagar district (17313) i.e. 0.37 percent. In case of urban population, highest urban population has been found in Srinagar district (1219516) which constitutes 56.01 percent of total urban population of Kashmir, while as the lowest urban population has been observed in Shopian district having (16360) 0.75 percent of the total urban population.

2.4.3 Population Density

Population density is defined as the number of persons inhabited per square kilometre of the area. It is the result of physical environment. Table 2.7 and Figure 2.8 depicts the district wise population density in the study area. It has been observed that the total density of population in the study area was 679 in 2011 as compared to 124 persons in the whole state. Figure 2.8 also shows the spatial distribution of population density in the region and it has been observed that four districts viz. Ganderbal district (1148), Bandipora (1137), Kulgam (1051), and Shopin (853) falls under the highest population density. However, the lowest population density has been observed in three districts namely Baramulla (238) followed by Anantnag (302) and Kupwara (366). The medium category of the population has been recorded in three districts namely Srinagar (625) followed by Pulwama (516) and Budgam (554).

Table 2.7: District-wise Density of Population in Kashmir (2011) Districts Total Population Area (in Sq. Km) Population Density Srinagar 1236829 1979 625 Anantnag 1078692 3574 302 Baramulla 1008039 4243 238 Kupwara 870354 2379 366 Pulwama 560440 1086 516 Budgam 753745 1361 554 MaulanaKulgam Azad Library,424483 Aligarh404 Muslim University1051 Ganderbal 297446 259 1148 Shopian 266215 312 853 Bandipora 392232 345 1137 Total 6888475 15942 679 Source: Census of India, 2011.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Figure 2.8

Sex Ratio

Sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1000 males. It is one of the basic indicators of social development and is important to measure the extent of prevailing equality between males and females in a society at a given point of time. Uneven distribution of sexes in the population can disturb the basic equilibrium within the society.

Table 2.8 and Figure 2.9 reveals that the sex ratio of Kashmir was 902, as compared to 883 in the whole state. The sex ratio of the Kashmir has reduced from 914 in Maulana2001 to 902 in Azad 2011 respectively, Library, while at Aligarh the state level Muslim it was 892 in 2001University which decreased to 883 in 2011. The low sex ratio of females to males as compared to the preceding census is alarming and needs the attention of all the sections of the society to give heed to “Beti Bachao” slogan pioneered by the Hon‟ble Prime Minister of India.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Table 2.8: District-wise Sex Ratio of Kashmir (2011) Districts Persons Male Female Sex Ratio Srinagar 1236829 651124 585705 900 Anantnag 1078692 559767 518925 927 Baramulla 1008039 534733 473306 885 Kupwara 870354 474190 396164 835 Pulwama 560440 293064 267376 912 Budgam 753745 398041 355704 894 Kulgam 424483 217620 206863 951 Ganderbal 297446 158720 138726 874 Shopian 266215 136480 129735 951 Bandipora 392232 207680 184552 889 Total 6888475 3631419 3257056 902 Source: Census of India, 2011

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 2.9

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

District wise analysis of sex ratio in the study area shows that there is not wide variation in sex ratio at the district level. The highest sex ratio has been observed in the districts of Kulgam (951) and Shopian (951), followed by Anantnag (927). While the lowest sex ratio has been recorded in Kupwara (835) and Ganderbal (874). However, Srinagar (900), Pulwama (912), Budgam(894), Bandipora (889) and Baramulla (885) districts falls under the category of medium density of population (Census, 2011).

2.4.4 Literacy Rate

Literacy rate is one of the most important indicators of social development. It is the outcome of better facilities and better quality of life. A person can be considered as literate whose age is 7 years and above and can both read and write with understanding in any language. As per the census 2011, the literacy rate in the Kashmir was 61.51 percent against the average literacy rate of 68.74 percent in the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir. The average literacy rate among the male population was 71.64 percent against the 50.35 percent literacy of the female population. The gender gap between male and female literacy rate is 21.29 percent which show a high variation between male and female literacy rate in the region. However, the percentage of rural and urban literacy rates in the region was 58.13 and 71.26 respectively (Table 2.9).

Table 2.9: District-wise Percentage of Literate Population Kashmir in 2011 Districts Total Rural Urban Male Female Srinagar 69.41 53.51 69.63 76.25 61.85 Anantnag 62.69 59.25 71.97 72.66 52.19 Baramulla 64.63 61.96 76.01 75.53 52.38 Kupwara 64.51 62.92 75.6 75.68 50.95 Pulwama 63.48 61.85 73.15 74.36 51.80 Budgam 56.08 54.01 68.87 66.30 44.85 Kulgam 59.23 57.41 66.75 69.59 48.49 Ganderbal 58.04 56.47 66.49 68.85 45.71 MaulanaShopian Azad60.76 Library,59.54 Aligarh78.65 Muslim70.27 University50.90 Bandipora 56.28 54.33 65.45 66.88 44.34 Total 61.51 58.13 71.26 71.64 50.34 Source: Census of India, 2011

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Figure 2.10

Table 2.9 and Figure 2.10 depicts district wise literacy rate in Kashmir. The highest literacy rate has been observed in three districts viz. Srinagar (69.41) followed by Baramulla (64.63) and Kupwara (64.51). While as the lowest literacy rate has been observed in the districts of Gudgam (56.08) followed by Bandipora (56.28) and Gabderbal (58.04. The districts of Pulwama (63.48), Anantnag (62.69), Shopian (60.76) and Kulgam (59.23) falls under the category of medium rate of literacy. MaulanaOccupational Azad Structure Library, Aligarh Muslim University Occupational structure of the population is an important indicator to measure the employment status of the population. It is also one of the indicators of socioeconomic development. The distribution of the population according to the different types of occupations is referred to as the occupational structure.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Table 2.10 and Figure 2.11 depicts district wise distribution of workers and non- workers. About 33.03 percent of the total population in Kashmir were workers. Among the total workers, the male participation rate in the region was 45.86 percent but in case of females, it was only 18.73 percent. Among the total workers, main workers constitute 18.69 percent of the total worker population while as marginal workers constitute 14.34 percent of the total worker population of Kashmir. At the district level Srinagar district observes the highest main worker (26.73) and Kupwara district experiences the lowest i.e. 14.23 percent of the total main working population. The ratio of Non-workers is very high in Kashmir i.e. 66.97 percent. The highest percentage of non-workers has been found in district Kupwara (73.68) while as the lowest percentage of non-workers has been recorded in district Bandipora (61.93). Furthermore, the Census has classified the worker into four categories i.e. cultivators, agricultural labourer, household worker and other worker. Perusal of table 2.10 clearly shows district wise distribution of workers in different categories of economic activities.

Table 2.10: District-wise Economic Classification of Population in Kashmir (2011) (In Percentage) Districts Total Worker Main Worker Marginal Non Worker Worker Srinagar 32.92 26.73 6.20 67.08 Anantnag 36.13 16.39 19.74 63.87 Baramulla 30.18 18.65 11.53 69.82 Kupwara 26.32 14.23 12.09 73.68 Pulwama 33.62 17.54 16.08 66.38 Budgam 28.51 17.51 10.99 71.49 Kulgam 37.69 18.33 19.36 62.31 Ganderbal 33.92 17.80 16.12 66.08 Shopian 32.95 20.55 12.40 67.05 Bandipora 38.07 19.17 18.90 61.93 MaulanaTotal Azad33.03 Library, 18.69Aligarh Muslim14.34 University66.97 Source: Census of India, 2011

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Figure 2.11 Table 2.11: District-wise Classification of Total Workers in different Categories of Economic activities in Kashmir (2011) Districts Total Workers Agricultural Household Cultivators Other workers labourers workers Srinagar 3.00 2.56 4.94 89.51 Anantnag 36.17 19.60 4.19 40.04 Baramulla 23.20 24.70 6.00 46.11 Kupwara 15.14 24.78 3.47 56.61 Pulwama 26.40 18.09 5.63 49.88 Budgam 25.74 17.05 13.54 43.67 Kulgam 43.24 18.71 3.87 34.19 MaulanaGanderbal Azad Library,15.20 Aligarh19.14 Muslim7.56 University58.09 Shopian 54.06 12.35 3.87 29.72 Bandipora 18.91 22.02 13.72 45.35 Total 26.11 17.90 6.68 49.32 Source: Census of India, 2011

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Table 2.11, reveals that out of the total working population of Kashmir, 26.11 percent people were engaged in cultivation, 17.90 were agricultural labours, 6.68 percent were engaged in different household work while as 49.32 percent population were other workers. At district level Shopian had the highest percentage of cultivators i.e. 54.06 percent contrary to this lowest percentage of cultivators were experienced in Srinagar district 3.00 percent. The highest percentage of other workers was recorded in the Srinagar district i.e. 89.51 percent because Srinagar has majority of urban population. The highest percentage of agricultural labourers was found in Kupwara district (24.78) followed by Baramulla (24.70) while as the lowest percentage of agricultural labourers was observed in Srinagar district (2.56). In case of household workers, the highest percentage was found in Bandipora district (13.72) followed by Budgam (13.54) while as the lowest percentage of household workers were recorded in Kupwara district (3.47) as shown in figure 2.12.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 2.12

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.5 Socio-economic Setting

Kashmir being an isolated hilly region has a distinct type of culture, lifestyle, population, ritual practices etc. It maintained its own image over time. Civilization flourished here at a time when the most parts of India were uninhabited. Archaeological finding reveals that the first people had settled along the mountain slopes when the plain valley was under water.

2.5.1 Major Ethnic Groups

Kashmir is a heterogeneous region, representing different climate, flora and fauna. People possessing different ethnic backgrounds, professing diverse religion, language and culture in the region making it a vibrant specimen of unity amidst diversity. The official language is Urdu. Kashmir is inhabited by main aboriginal ethnic groups. These ethnic groups and various religions have influenced the cultural ethos and mode of life of people of Kashmir. There are various ethnic groups who are concentrated in different places of Kashmir, each social group is the keeper of distinctive cultural traditions and the nucleus of various kinds of social interactions. These social groups not only provide group identity but also friendship, marriages, patterns and business. The various ethnic groups of Kashmir are:

Kashmiris: Kashmiris are well spread in various parts of Kashmir region but their major concentration is in the Valley bottom of Kashmir. There is a close bearing of the Indo- Arayans on racial composition of Kashmiris. The Indo- Aryan religions and languages have a substantially affected the mode of life of Kashmiri. Kashmir‟s are broad shoulder and usually of medium to tall stature. They are well developed forehead, a long narrow face, regular face. They wear short pyjamas, a long loose sleeved gown locally known as Pharan, and a skull cap. Most of the Kashmiri live in villages and are dependent on agriculture, while the urban Kashmiri are engaged in business, tourism, hotel- management, carpet making, silk industry and several other handicrafts.

Darda: Before embracing the Islam Darda were the followers of Buddhism and MaulanaHinduism. T Azadhey are mainly Library, concentrated Aligarhin Dardistan (Derdesa Muslim), the areas University of the north of Kashmir valley especially in the catchment of Kishanganga, Gurez and Tilel. According to Leitner, Dards belong to Aryan stock. In physical appearance, they are broad shouldered, moderately and have well proportionate bodies. They are not so handsome, their hairs are usually black and their eyes are either black or hazel. They are known for

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

their ferocity. In social hierarchy, they are divisible into Renue (ruling class), Shins (religious class), Yashkun (cultivators) and Dum (menial class). Dards are mostly dependant on agriculture, pastoralism, cottage industries and trade.

Hanjis: Hanjis, constitutes a significant ethnic group in the Kashmir. They are mainly confined in Dal, Wular, Anchar Lakes and Jhelum river especially between Khanbal (Anantnag) and Chattabal (Srinagar). Scholars believe that Hanjis belongs to one of the ancient racial group Nishads (boatmen). Some of the Hanjis claims themselves as the descendants of Prophet Noah. It is believed that before their conversion to Islam, they were Kashtriyas. Hanjis a peculiar ethnic group attached to water. The living conditions of Gad-Hanjis and Demb-Hanjis are poor and unhygienic, while those are houseboat owners have better income and social status.

Gujjars: Gujjars and Bakerwals constitute a significant proportion of Kashmir. They have nomadic character and are largely dependent on flocks and cattle keeping for their livelihood. There are several theories about the origin of Gujjara. According to one school of thought, before their arrival in the sub-continent, they were inhabitants of Georgia (Gurgia) a territory between Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Under certain push and pull factors they left their abode and through central Asia, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan crossed the Khyber pass to enter subcontinent of India. Most probably in the 5th and 6th century A.D. at the occurrence of some serious droughts they moved out of Gujarat and crossing Rajasthan and Punjab enters the green pastures of Siwaliks and the Himalayas.

The major concentration of Gujjars lies in Uri, Gabderbal, Anantnag, Daksum and Narang. The houses of Gujjars are locally known as Kothas. It is generally mud house against the slope of a hillock. The walls are devoid of any ventilation except a small entry door. The shelter though unhygienic protects them and their cattle from severe cold of winter. Their main occupation is rearing of cattle, horses, goat, and sheep. They have subsistence type of economy and try to produce everything they need (Hussain, 1998).

2.5.2 Culture and Traditions MaulanaLike its scenicAzad beauty, Library, Kashmir is even Aligarh famous for its Muslimcultural heritage. University The valley of Kashmir is very rich as far as a different aspect of its culture is concerned. Right through ages, it has adopted and assimilated components of various civilizations and religions. The amalgamation of Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist Philosophies has added

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

colour and fragrance to the Kashmiri culture resulting into a composite culture based on humanism, secularism and tolerance.

Kashmir‟s are hospitable by nature. They enjoy social life and mutual entertainment. The most important part of the cultural identity of the Kashmiri people is the Kashmiri (Koshur) language. Cultural music and dance like Wanvun, Rouf, carpet/shawl weaving and Koshur Sufiana form a very important part of Kashmiri identity. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts. Shikaras, traditional small wooden boats, and houseboats are a common feature in various lakes and rivers across the Valley. Kehwa, traditional green tea with spices and almond, is consumed all through the day in the chilled winter climate of Kashmir.

Kashmiris are known throughout the world for their spicy meat dishes locally known as “Kashmiri wazwan” and the delicate flavour of saffron. The Kashmiri‟s common dress is a pheran (long woollen coat), the shalwar (trouser) and a turban or a Kashmiri cap. Whereas, the dress of a woman consists mainly of sari and tailored jackets or blouses. The women also wear a long flowing tunic and trousers. Every man, woman and child wears a pheran (long woollen coat) during the cold winter months.

Kashmir‟s culture is interlinked with its geography. The culture and traditions are largely influenced by its geo-religious factors. Its cool climate has made its inhabitants habituated to wear heavy woollen clothes. The tradition among the believers of various religions has in one or the other way altered its shape its design. Likewise, all the traditions and customs are governed by its geographical conditions, it is also the climate which has made people to take hot spices in order to keep their bodies warm (Mayer, 2007).

2.5.3 Religion

Religion forms an all-pervasive component of the culture of a community. Kashmir is mostly inhabited by believers of Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. A few MaulanaChristians and Azad Buddhists Library, also live there. IslamAligarh is the dominant Muslim religion in KashmirUniversity Valley which constitutes about 97.16 percent of total population. There are different opinions regarding the spread of Islam in the valley. It is believed that Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, popularly known as Shah-I Hamadan (in Kashmir), visited the valley three times and brought with him seven hundred disciples, known as Sadaat, from Central Asia. These

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Sadaat visited different parts of Kashmir and engaged themselves in the propagation of Islam.

Hinduism forms the second major religion of Kashmir which constitutes about 1.84 percent of total population of Kashmir. It is the oldest religion of the valley. Its followers are scattered throughout the valley and their presence is felt in every sphere of life. The community is highly educated. They belong to the upper division of the society and are generally known as Pandits i.e. the learned men. Kashmiri Pandits have been profoundly religious people. Religion has played a pivotal role in shaping their customs, rituals, rites, festivals, fasts, ceremonies, food habits etc. Kashmir is widely known as the birth-place of Sikhism forms the third major religion of Kashmir valley which constitutes about 0.88 percent of total population of Kashmir. However, in comparison to Muslims and Hindus, Sikhs are fewer in number (Mir, 2013).

2.6 Economical Setting

The geographical location of Kashmir, its difficult terrain, political turmoil or political instability and the non availability of raw materials together with poor network of transport as well as high transportation costs has pushed Kashmir far behind in achieving any significant share in the industrialization. Kashmir may be termed as an area of non-existent in industrial development.

2.6.1 Agriculture

Kashmir has mostly agriculture-based economy which plays a dominant role in the socio-economic transformation of the region. About 27.5 percent of the total income of Jammu and Kashmir is contributed by the agriculture sector. So agriculture is the main occupation of people of Kashmir with more than 66 percent of total population is engaged in agriculture activities. There is about 69 percent of total population, which is engaged in the primary sector. About 10.70 percent population is engaged in the secondary and productive activities. The remaining 20 percent is in the tertiary group of economic activities. Paddy is the main crop of Kashmir region, followed by maize, pulses, oilseeds, Maulanavegetables, fodder Azad and wheat. Library, This region Aligarh also has the honour Muslim of being amongstUniversity the world‟s few places where best quality saffron is cultivated. Pampore tehsil of Pulwama district, which is located at a distance of 15 kilometres from Srinagar, is known for its high-grade saffron in the world.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Despite of importance of agriculture for ensuring inclusive growth and food security, its contribution towards Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is gradually decreasing which is the indication of the development of the economy. The estimated percentage contribution of agriculture and allied sectors was 21.19 % in 2011-2012, against the corresponding share of 28.06 %, registered in 2004-05. The growth rate in this sector is on the decline. During 10th Five Year Plan was recorded as 2.24 % and growth rate of 2.16 % against the target of 4 % has been achieved in 11th Five Year Plan period. The decline in growth rate is attributed to low productivity, lack of adequate agriculture research, yield stagnation, low seed replacement rate, small size of land holding and lack of adequate irrigation facility.

Table 2.12: Details of Area, Production and Yield of food products in Kashmir Kashmir Area Production Yield (000 Ha) (000 Qtls) (Qt/ha) S.No Kharief Crop 2012-13 2013-14 2012-13 2013-14 2012-13 2013-14

1. Rice 158 158 5500 5760 34.81013 36.4557 2. Maize 100 100 1200 1800 12 18 3. Pulses 14.5 14.6 152 155 10.48276 10.61644 4. Vegetables 20.5 21 5422 6070 264.4878 289.0476 5. Fodder 6 6.5 2250 6070 375 933.8462 Rabi Crops 6. Wheat 4.5 6.15 100 148 22.22222 24.06504 7. Oilseeds 86 86 855 860 9.94186 10 8. Pulses(peas) 10 11.5 135 143.7 13.5 12.49565 9. Fodder 28 29 11700 13050 417.8571 450 10 Vegetables 11 11 2800 2882 254.5455 262 Source: Economic Survey Jammu and Kashmir, 2013-14.

Department of Agriculture government of Jammu and Kashmir is taking large efforts for increasing the productivity of various crops through the implementation of Maulanavarious schemes Azad in Kashmir. Library, Table 2.12 revealedAligarh that yield Muslim per hectare of Universityrice in Kashmir was 36.5 quintals during 2013-14 as compared to 34.8 quintals during the last year. A marginal increase in the production of pulses has also been also observed from 10.48 to 10.61 quintals during the same period. It is revealed that area under various crops had remained almost constant and the production had started to show an upward trend.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.6.2 Horticulture

After agriculture, horticulture plays a significant role in the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir in general and Kashmir region in particular. This sector is one of the most important employment generating sectors in the region. However, Kashmir is well known for its horticulture produce both in India and abroad. It offers good scope for cultivation of horticulture crops, covering a variety of temperate fruits like apple, pear, apricot, almond etc. Apple occupies around 40 % of total area under fruit and accounts for 90 % of the total production of fruits in the state. Apart from this, well-known spices like saffron and black Zeera are also been cultivated in some pockets of the Kashmir. As a result, there is a visible change in the concept of horticulture development in the region. Looking to the specific wise details of area figures under various fruits for the year 2013-14, it was observed that largest area of 45.34 % (161364 hectares) was occupied by Apple out of total area of 355921 hectares under the fruit. Walnut was the next major fruit occupying 26.86 % in the overall area under the fruit. Horticulture is gaining momentum in Kashmir as its contribution to the GDP remains around 7-8 percent over the past few years. There are around 7 lakh families comprising of about 33 lakh people who are engaged with horticulture sector. An income of 4100 crores has been generated from fruit production during 2013-14 which includes an amount of 495 crores from dry fruits (Economic Survey, J&K, 2012-2013).

Table 2.13: District-wise area under various Fruit Crops in Kashmir (2013-2014) S.NO Name of the District Area of Cultivation (In hec.) 1 Srinagar 6980 2 Anantnag 34570 3 Baramulla 30836 4 Kupwara 27970 5 Pulwama 22624 6 Budgam 32102 7 Kulgam 23409 Maulana8 Azad Library,Ganderbal Aligarh Muslim11049 University 9 Shopian 26206 10 Bandipora 7558 Total 223304 Source: Economic Survey Jammu and Kashmir, 2014-2015.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

2.6.3 Handicraft

The handicraft industry of Kashmir is well known and has always enjoyed worldwide fame and name for the exquisite quality and uniqueness of its arts and crafts. Travellers, historian and poets have paid glowing tributes to the dexterity and skill of craftsmanship of Kashmiri Crafts like Shawls, Namdha, Crewel, Wood Carving, Papier Machie, Chain Stitch, Costume Jewellery, Kani Shawls and the Carpets hold a significant share in the overall production and export of the State (Shah, 2016). Silken carpets, in particular, constitute a speciality having no match in quality and design at the national level and, therefore, occupy a significant position in the international market.

In absence of any other manufacturing industries in the region, handicraft sector occupies an important position in the economic structure of Jammu and Kashmir particularly in Kashmir. It fulfilled a positive physical need in the daily life requirements of the people in the region. Handicraft activities are best suited to Kashmir as they are more labour intensive and less capital intensive in nature, and provide direct employment to more than 3 lakh people and have a potential to generate more employment in future within and outside the state (Yasmin and Bhat, 2013). It is a flourishing sector that contributes a lot towards Kashmir foreign exchange earnings and its handmade articles provide cultural identity to the Kashmir not only at national level but also at international level. This sector makes a significant contribution in sustaining export trade of the Kashmir. The year wise Production and Export of Handicraft Industry in Jammu and Kashmir from 2004-05 to 2015-16 has been given in the table 2.14.

Table 2.14: Year-wise Production, Employment and Export of Handicraft Industry in Kashmir (2004-05 to 2014-15) Year Production Employment Exports (Rs. In Crores) (No. In Lakhs) (Rs. In Crores) 2004-05 887.00 3.47 642.00 2005-06 900.00 3.48 705.00 2006-07 950.00 3.50 785.00 2007-08 1614.59 3.51 1200.47 2008-09 1100.00 3.55 705.50 Maulana2009-10 Azad 1000.50Library, Aligarh3.51 Muslim 661.27University 2010-11 1650.30 3.52 1004.10 2011-12 1815.33 3.52 1643.37 2012-13 1843.21 3.53 1538.28 2013-14 2015.82 NA 1695.65 2014-15 2175.00 NA 1287.04 Source: Economic Survey (J&K), 2014-15

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

The table 2.14 reveals that except in 2008-09 and 2009-2010 when there was greater political instability in the Kashmir. The production, employment and export generated from the handicraft industry have increased over the years. The growth rate of production has increased from 887 crores to 1614.59 crores during 2004-05 to 2007-08. In 2008-09 this figure was decreased to 1100.00 crores and further decreased to 1000.50 crores in 2009-10. Again the growth rate of production shows an increasing trend from 1650.30 crores to 2175.00 crores during the period from 2010-11 to 2014-15. Similarly, the growth rate of export has increased from 642 crores to 1200.47 crores during 2004-05 to 2007-08. In 2008-09 the growth rate of export was decreased to 705.50 crores and further declined to 661.27 crores in 2009-10. From 2010-11 to 2013-14 growth rate of export was again increased from 1004.10 crores to 1643.37 crores which decreased to 1538.28 crores in 2014-15.

2.6.4 Tourism

The tourism tag has always placed Kashmir in the limelight at the national as well as global levels. Our tourism products are famous and well known all over the world. All efforts are being made from the government side to increase the flow of tourists in the region as with more the arrival of tourists, the more economic activity gets generated which has multiplier effects on the income levels of the large chunk of the population dependent on this sector (Lone and Rather, 2013). This sector plays a significant role and holds a strategic position in the economic development of Kashmir and is indeed one of the major contributors to the Kashmir economy. It absorbs a large proportion of people in Kashmir and provides them jobs in the form of hotel managers, tourist guides, travel agents photographs etc. This sector constitutes one of the main sources of income for vast sections of Kashmiri population and is considered as an economic bonanza for Kashmir (Bhat, 2014). Tourism sector with a revenue generation of more than Rs.3, 000 crores provides employment to more than 5 lakh people, both skilled and unskilled. It is also estimated that almost 50-60 % of total population of J&K is directly or indirectly engaged in tourism-related activities. The tourism sector in J&K contributes about 15 % to State MaulanaGross Domestic AzadProduct (Ministry Library, of Tourism, Aligarh GOI, 2003). Muslim University

However, after the introduction of various Tourism Development Authorities in 2004 by the state government, a new spirit was set up in the tourism industry of Kashmir. These Tourism Development Authorities which were established at different tourist destinations in Kashmir generated the revenue worth crores and create employment

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

opportunities for a large number of people especially to the locals, hence boost up the economy of people of that area and also proved fruitful for the overall growth and development of the tourism industry of Kashmir (Shah, et.al. 2014).

2.6.5 Fisheries

Fisheries sector also occupies a significant position in the socio-economic development of the Jammu and Kashmir. It has been considered as a source of powerful income and employment for a large section of the economically backward population of the region. Kashmir has a vast number of lakes, rivers and streams which gives an indication of the potential for fisheries in the region. However, Govt. is making efforts to develop fisheries activity wherever possible. It is estimated that about 93000 populations depend on fishing as a subsidiary occupation. The important types of fishes available in the region are Trout, Minor carp and Country fish. Among these varieties, Kashmir trout is famous throughout the country. The catchment of fish in Qtls. is given in the table 2.15.

Table 2.15: Year-wise Production of various types of Fishes in Kashmir (2009-2015) Year Trout (In Qtls) Minor (In Qtls) Carp (In Qtls) 2009-10 1700 117013 43045 2010-11 1950 117413 43395 2011-12 2580 118025 43450 2012-13 2600 118090 43570 2013-14 2620 118340 43650 2014-15 1980 83550 20690 Source: Directorate, Economic Planning & Statistics, J&K, 2014-15

2.6.6. Transport and Communication

Efficient infrastructure accessibility is not only essential for the economic development of a region but also for its social, political and cultural development. It is required to exploit the rich natural wealth of a region, to develop indigenous industries, to explore new markets for its products and to promote tourism. Maulana Transport Azad in Kashmir Library, is predominantly Aligarh by air, road Muslim and rail. It is Universitywell connected with other states by National Highway 1-A. Buses and various types of Taxis are important means of transportation. Kashmir is connected with Ladakh by Srinagar-Leh National high way which is 434 Kms long and remains open during summer season. It is connected with Jammu division with Srinagar-Jammu National high way 300 Kms long

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

which passes through Jawahar tunnel (2.5 Kms.). The total road length maintained by all agencies (State and Central Departments) in the Jammu and Kashmir is estimated to be 36205 kms. The Public Works Department alone maintained 15768 kms. (43.6 %), excluding National Highways. The BRO maintained National Highways and total road length maintained by BRO was 5958 kms. (16.5 %), Irrigation and Flood Control Department maintained 477 kms. (1.3 %), Forest department maintained 10620 Kms. (29.3 %), and CD and NES maintained 3355 Kms. (9.3 %). The proportion of surfaced roads was 20895 Kms. (57.7 %) and that of unsurfaced roads was 15310 Kms. (42.30 %) (Directorate of Economics and Statistics, 2008).

Kashmir is also well connected with the others states and other countries by air. Recently Srinagar airport has been upgraded to the international level to promote international tourism. All major airlines operate daily flights to Jammu and Kashmir from New Delhi and other major cities in India. Srinagar Airport is 14 kms from the city centre. Train is another important means of transportation in the region which operates within the Kashmir from Banihal to Baramulla. It has a 119 km (74 mi) long modern railway line that started in October 2009 and connects Baramulla in the north-western part of Kashmir to Srinagar and Banihal. Kashmir is being connected by rail with Jammu and other parts of the country and the project is expected to be commissioned in near future (Ministry of Tourism, GOI, 2012).

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

References

Bhat, B. A. (2014). Exploring the Socio-Economic Coordinates of Tourism: A Case of Kashmir. Journal of Business & Economic Policy, 1(1), 10.

Census of India, 2011

Digest of Forest Statistics. (2011). J&K Forest Department, Retrieved from http://jkforest .gov.in/orders/Digest_of_Forest _Statistics_J_K_Forest_Dept.pdf

Dar, R. R. (2014). Understanding Kashmir Tourism-An Insight into its Trends, Prospects and Problems. International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 4(9), 3-6.

Directorate of Economics and Statistics. (2008). Socio-Economic Profile of J&K, Govt. of J&K. Retrieved from http://ecostatjk.nic.in/publications/Socio%20Economic%20 Profile.pdf

Economic Survey (2012-2013). Government of J&K. Retrieved from http://www.jandkpla nning.com /images/Economic_ Survey/16-agriculture.pdf

Hussain, M. (1998). Geography of Jammu &Kashmir. Rajesh Publication, New Delhi, 26

Khan. A. R. (2007). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulshan books, Residency Road, Srinagar, 6-7.

Lawrence, W. R. (1999). The valley of Kashmir. Gulshan Publishers, Srinagar, 13

Lawrence, W. R. (2005). The valley of Kashmir, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 179-191.

Lone, P. A; and Rather, N. A (2013). An Empirical Analysis of Tourist Infrastructure Quality in Jammu and Kashmir. A Journal of Radix International Educational and Research Consortium, 2(2), 1-2.

Mayer. I. A (2007). Medical Geography, A P H Publisher, New Delhi, 44- 45,

Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute. (2012). Annual Report Jammu and Kashmir. Retrieved from http://dcmsme.gov.in/an29.pdf Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Ministry of Tourism, GOI (2012). Identification of Tourism Circuits across India, Retrieved from http://tourism.gov.in/writereaddata/CMSPagePicturefilemarket

Mir, U. M. (2013). The History of Culture and Tradition of Kashmiri Pandiths in J&K, Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 2(1), 2278-4497.

Chapter-II Synoptic View of Kashmir

Planning Commision Govt. of India. (2011). J&K Development Report. Retrieved from http://planning commission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_jandk/sdr_jkch4.pdf

Raina. A. N. (1971). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. National Book Trust, New Delhi, 15.

Raza, et.al. (1978). The valley of Kashmir, The Land, Vikas Publication House New Delhi, 37-43.

Shah, et; al. (2014). Role of Tourism in Income Generation and Employment in Kashmir Valley, International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 5(12), 2302.

Shah, M. R. (2016). An Assessment of Handicraft Sector of J&K with reference to central Kashmir. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 6(5), 1-2.

Yasmin, E; and Bhat, F. A. (2013). An Evaluation of Handicraft Sector of J&K- A Case study of District Budgam. European Academic Research, 1(4), 367-368.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Kashmir is the epitome of natural beauty that surpasses any other region in the whole world. Its reservoirs of tourist attractions are unparalleled both in its antiquity on man‟s magnificent creations and the unique natural scenic splendour. The capital city Srinagar lies on the bank of Jhelum River, which is the life line of Kashmir. Because of its natural beauty and grandeur, Kashmir is often referred as “Paradise on earth” or it has been called as “Switzerland” of India. It has been a land of great fascination and place of tourist attraction since the time of Mughal Emperors. Its snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes, charming gardens and wide range of flora and fauna play an important role in tourist attractions and natural lovers from every corner of the globe. The flat- topped Karewas with fruit and saffron culture, the plains with rich paddy and Mustard fields, criss-crossed by gushing streams and rivers which drains into transparent charming lakes; the hill stations with cool and unpolluted environment are the main determinants of tourism development in Kashmir.

Apart from natural beauty, this region is dotted with several religious sites and other historical monuments which are important determinants of tourism development in the region. Besides this, the culture and tradition of Kashmir is unique and unparallel throughout the country. The collections of songs, music, dance, theatre, folk traditions, performing arts, rites and rituals, paintings and writings plays a crucial role in the tourism sector of Kashmir Valley Khan, (Khan, 2007). The Kashmir as a tourist region offers the maximum opportunities of entertainment, enjoyment, adventure and travel. However, the present study has been made to examine the various determinants of tourism development in the study region including physical, cultural, social and historical. It also highlights the tourism motivation dynamics and socio-economic setup of tourists both domestic as well as foreign who visit Kashmir. Besides this, it also shows the satisfaction level of tourists regarding the various tourism products and services available in the region.

3.1 Physical Determinants 3.1.1. Valleys Maulana Kashm Azadir is famous Library, for the elongated Aligarh Valley through Muslim which the riv erUniversity Jhelum flows, and this main Valley is garlanded by various small side valleys. These side valleys are dotted with transparent lakes, gushing streams, green turf, magnificent trees, mountains and cool and pleasant atmosphere (Hussain, 1998). Lidder Valley is a picturesque valley that forms one of the main attractions among the tourism destinations in and around the pleasant hill station of Pahalgam. The scenic Valley of Lidder is decorated with beautiful

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

brooks and streams. One remarkable feature of the Lidder Valley is the presence of pleasing glaciers that enhance its beauty largely. The Valley is criss-crossed by the famous tributary of Jhelum-the Lidder, whose cold milky waters offers a charming site.

Pahalgam literally means village of shepherds. It is situated at the confluence of Sheshnag Lake and Lidder river. Pahalgam hill station is a spectacular sight which is now counted amongst the premier resorts of the Kashmir. This tourist spot is extremely popular among tourists for its outdoor activities liking horse riding, golf, fishing and trekking. Some famous treks of Pahalgam are the Pahalgam-Sonmarg Trek and the trek of Chandwari, Kolahoi Glacier and Sheeshnag Lake. Around Pahalgam, there are many places of interest and because of the resort is set between fairly steep hills, it is worth hiring a pony rather than walking. Pony fares are posted at prominent locations.

It is also associated with the holy yatra of Amarnath Cave. Chandwari 16 Km from the Pahalgam serves as the starting point of the Amarnath Yatra. This Yatra is organized every year in the Hindu month of Sawan (July to August). There are many interesting tourist destinations around Pahalgam. Amongst them are the Surging pastures of Baisaran. This huge green meadow is surrounded by thickly wooden forests of pine present a beautiful spectacle. Then there is Hajan, a popular picnic spot, on way to Chandawari. Hajan is a popular shooting location for the Indian film industry. The hill station of Pahalgam station has eight tiny Villages inside it. One of the villages is Mamal, there is a Shiva temple here generally considered to be the Kashmiris oldest existing temple, dating back to the 5th century. There are excellent fishing opportunities at the Lidder River. Pahalgam also comprises of a part of the Saffron growing areas of Asia. It also offers shopping facilities to tourists. It is also quite popular for wool products like Gabbas and Namdas, available in the local shops (Khan, 2007).

Sind Valley is another beautiful small side valley which lies to the northeast of Srinagar and is carved by the river Sind. This is an area of massive snow-capped mountains, glacial lakes and fast flowing rivers. The majestic Zojila pass marks the boundary from the Sind valley to the Ladakh region. Lolab Valley is another beautiful Maulanavalley which is anAzad untouched Library, and unexplored Aligarh tourist destination Muslim with dense forest University ranges. It is an oval-shaped valley meaning love and water – signifying the love and beauty of the unexplored destination. Bangus Valley is also an upcoming destination which is surrounded all sides by dense forests and snow covered mountains. This Valley is most attractive and is famous for adventure tourism.

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Photo plate 1: Gurez Valley

Photo Plate 2: Lidder Valley

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 3: Betaab Valley 93

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.1.2 Meadows

Meadows are considered as an important determinant of tourism development and form a very prominent part of tourist attractions in Kashmir. The slopes available at Sonamarg, Yusmarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg etc. provide a wide scope for development of summer as well as winter tourism. These meadows attract tourists in large numbers due to its mesmerizing beauty. Some of the famous meadows in Kashmir are:

Nagmarg: Nagmarg is one of the most beautiful and attractive meadows located at the head of Wullar Lake. This picturesque grassy meadow land along with glassy waters of lake attracts the hearts and minds of tourists. Lovely mountains of the Kaji-Nag and Kaghan and the ranges of Pir Panjal are also visible from here which adds more beauty to this marg (Sundararaman, 2011).

Gulmarg meadow: Gulmarg is undoubtedly the best-known meadow of the Kashmir and one of the most splendid hill resorts. This green meadow of flowers receives tourists throughout the year. It has an undulating topography which adds to its scenic beauty and majestic charm. The scenery here is comparable with the loveliest regions of Switzerland. Apart from the beautiful scenery, nature has provided this region with a great variety of flora and fauna. All the basic amenities i.e.; hotels, market, boarding houses and transport etc. are available at Gulmarg (Hussain, 1988). The weather is delightfully cool even during the summer season, with intermittent showers of rain, which far exceeds that of the Valley. It also has the highest golf course in the world at an altitude of 2,650 m, which is one of the major attractions of the awesome hill stations. A cable car project (Gondola) highest in the world is operating form this scenic spot which takes tourists up to Kongdori, to enjoy the magnificent sights of the meadow from the top. This ride of cable car corporation (Gondola) has always been a special attraction for tourists. Gulmarg also provides an excellent base for undertaking some of the most delightful treks.

Sonmarg-The Meadow of Gold: The word „Sonmarg‟ literally means the meadow of gold. This beautiful tourist resort lies in the Sindh Valley of Kashmir 87 kilometers away Maulanafrom Srinagar at Azad an altitude Library, of 3000 meters andAligarh is situated on Muslim the Srinagar-Ladakh University road. This green meadow is surrounded on all sides by mountains and spread with bright colored flowers. This golden meadow is girdled by dense forests of fir, birch and sycamore with river Sind meandering quite slowly and steadily. It provides a base to the snow line and number of glaciers. These mighty glaciers and silent lakes add to the

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

magnificence of this place. The scenery here presents a grandeur and beauty similar to „Alps in Europe‟.

Sonmarg a summer resort presents diversified scenery from narrow upland Valleys and deep gorges to open grassy meadow lands and small villages strewn here and there. It is an ideal camping site and is considered a heaven for trekkers for its adventurous trekking routes with beautiful green and frozen lakes around. It offers a base for treks to the famous high altitude lakes of Vishensar, Kishensar, Gadsar and Gangabal. Four hamlets are en route to Sonmarg from Srinagar, which are also of great attraction to tourists. Sonmarg also serves as another base for undertaking the holy yatra of Amarnath cave. This yatra is organized every year during the summer (Hussain, 1988).

Yusmarg: Yusmarg green meadow plays an important role in attracting tourists to Kashmir valley. This green meadow is located 47 Km from the Srinagar and lies in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is referred to as „mini Gulmarg‟ as its scenic beauty and topography resemble that of Gulmarg. It is a vast expanse of flat turf, ringed with coniferous forests, providing an enchanting landscape. Grassy pastures stretching to acres of land, the dense forests full of pine trees, with the backdrop of splendid snow- capped mountains leave every tourist speechless.

It is a heaven for trekkers for its adventurous trekking routes with beautiful green and frozen lakes around. It offers a base for treks to the famous high altitude lakes of Nilnag and Frozen Lake in the Sange-Safed Valley. Doodganga a river with milky and cold water flows through this meadow which added more beauty to it. All the basic amenities i.e; hotels, market, boarding houses and transport etc are available at Yusmarg for tourists. The other activities which are available at Gulmarg include horse riding, fishing, skiing during winter and photography which are very fond of tourists.

Daksum: Daksum meadow is counted as one of the best meadows of Kashmir Valley in terms of tourist attraction. It is a natural scenic spot situated at a distance of 40 km from Anantnag District and about 85 km from Srinagar Summer capital of J&K. It offers Maulanatrekking to theAzad Sinthan topLibrary,. The landscape Aligarh of Daksum is quiteMuslim irregular. ThereUniversity are snow- capped mountains in the background that further add to the beauty of this place. Besides these, there are many other small margs or meadows in the Kashmir valley that plays a significant contribution to the tourism sector of Kashmir Valley by attracting both domestic as well as foreign tourists throughout the year.

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Photo Plate 4: Gulmarg Meadow

Photo Plate 5: Sonmarg Meadow

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 6: Yousmarg Meadow

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.1.3 Lakes

Kashmir is decorated by a number of big and small lakes found all along the length and breadth of the valley. Because of these fresh water lakes, Kashmir is known all over the globe. Besides these lakes, which are fed by melting snows from the mountains, there are hosts of mountain tarns formed glared by the glacial action and other phenomenal activities of range nature. Some of the beautiful lakes that attract the hearts and minds of the tourists are:

Dal Lake: Dal Lake is counted among the best and well-known tourist destinations of Kashmir. It is famous all over the world and is described as Lake par excellence by Sir Walter Lawrence. Dal Lake houses the world famous shikaras and houseboats which provides an opportunity for tourists to enjoy the atmosphere of peace and calmness in the lake. It is one of the most beautiful lakes and is second largest in the J&K State. The lake is 8 Km long and 4 Km wide and covers an area of 26 sq. kms. It lies in the east of Srinagar city, at the foot of Zabarwan hills, with Shankaracharya hill (Takhti-Sulaiman) in its south and the Hariparbat fort on its west (Khan, 2007).

The fascinating lake is dotted by islands, floating gardens, fields of lotus blossoms and houseboats that add more charm to this picturesque splendour of nature. There are two small islands such as Sona lank (Gold Island) and Rupa lank (Silver Island) situated in the center of the lake. The Dal lake is divided into three parts such as Gagri bal, Lokut Dal or large lake and Bod Dal or big lake by manmade causeways. It presents a picturesque look during the “Chilla-Kalan” i.e., Season of December and January. The lake often freezes and people are often seen cycling over the thickly frozen surface. Tourist can enjoy Shikaras (boats) rides or they can stay and experience Kashmiri hospitability aboard the numerous houseboats. Dal Lake is also famous for various adventure sports like water skiing, water scooter and other sports.

Nageen Lake: Nageen Lake is small and most lovely part of Dal Lake and is separated from the large Dal Lake by a small narrow causeway. It is known as the „Jewel in the MaulanaRing‟. It has Azad deep blue Library, waters and is encircled Aligarh by a ring Muslim of green trees University from which it derives its name. It has also a number of houseboats moored around its parameter. Nageen Lake is another popular venue for water sports like water skiing, swimming, diving and sailing. This lake is also favorite among tourists who are in search of peaceful houseboat holiday.

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Wullar Lake: Wullar Lake is said to be the largest freshwater lake of Asia. It is approximately 60 Km from the city of Srinagar and falls in under the jurisdiction of district Baramulla. The lake is 19 km long and 10 km wide and is spread over an area of 125 km in an elliptical form. The average depth of the lake is about 12 feet. This lake is surrounded by mountains and hills. The sunset is worth seen at Wullar Lake which creates a magical show by reflecting the magic of surrounding hills. The lake is popular for adventure sports activities like water sports, yachting, and water skiing. The river Jhelum enters the lake in the south and leaves it from the west. The streams of Madmati, Erin and Bohnar flow into the lake from the eastern side.

Manasbal Lake: Manasbal lake is considered as one of the best lakes of Kashmir in terms of tourist attraction. This lake is located in Ganderbal district about 30 Km north of Srinagar city. This lake is about 3.2 km long and 1 km wide and it has predominantly rural surrounding with three villages, Kondabal, Jarokbal and Gratbal overlooking the lake. Manasbal lake is considered as the supreme gem of all Kashmir lakes with lotus nowhere more abundant beautiful than on the margins of this lake during July and August. It is the deepest lake in Kashmir Valley and perhaps the only that develops stable summer stratification. There is a beautiful park at the foot of the tableland which adds more beauty and charm to Mansbal Lake. It is a popular bird-watching area and is ideal water sport resort. It offers one of the best campaign sites in Kashmir (Khan, 2007).

Harwan Lake: Harwan Lake is situated at a distance of 21 km from Srinagar and is about 278 meters long, 137 meters wide and 18 meters deep. This lake is the main source of water supply to Srinagar city. The scenic beauty of this lake attracts visitors in large numbers especially local visitors.

Hokarsar Lake: Hokarsar Lake is located on the Baramulla road about 13 km from Srinagar. This Lake is surrounded by willow trees grown in abundance on its bank. The willow trees enrich the beauty of this lake in all seasons. It is spreading on about 5 km in length and 1.5 km in width and is worth visiting for its scenic beauty (Sundaraman, 2011). MaulanaMountain Lakes: Azad Kousarnag Library, Lake is the largest Aligarh mountain lakeMuslim in Kashmir. UniversityThis lake is surrounded by some of the most picturesque peaks of Pir Panjal range and this lake lies at an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level. This lake is fed by glaciers and is said to be the source of river Jhelum. In spring and summer, the water is some 40 feet higher than in winter. In the spring season, the surface is covered with icebergs which are driven about

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

by the wind. Sheshnag lake is another mountainous lake lies beyond Pahalgam (en route to Amarnath Cave). This three kilometers stretch of water has an exquisite pale-blue colour similar to that of Lake Lucerne. The Apharwat Lake or Alpather Lake is also a mountainous lake that lies near Gulmarg. This lake is also called frozen lake because of its freezing cold water. It remains snow-covered for most of the year and is 13,000 feet above sea level (Mir, 2013). In addition to these lakes, there are other lakes in Kashmir at higher elevations which are most beautiful and attractive. These lakes are Tarsar, Marsar, Tulian, Gadsar, Kishensar, Vishensar and Gangabal (Khan, 2007).

3.1.4 Rivers and Streams

Kashmir region is gifted with a large number of rivers and streams. The rivers and streams form a secondary component of the physical landscape and play an important role in attracting tourists. Jhelum River which originates in Verinag spring has emerged as a major tourism attraction. The Mangla Dam built on the river is one of the largest earth-fill dams and a great tourist spot. The River Jhelum in its path takes the form of a stream an act as lovely camping sites for campers and trekkers. The nine bridges which were built long ago over the river Jhelum also provide as hot tourism sites. The river is navigable from Khanabal to Baramulla and is one of the prime beauties of the valley. Dudhganga River is another important river of Kashmir which rises in the central part of the Pir Panjal range round mountain Tata Kuti. The source of Sindh River lies in the sacred Gangabal lake on mount Haramukh and passes through the famous resort of Sonamarg. The river of Veshav is an important river flowing through the district of Kulgam in south Kashmir. Aharbal‟s waterfall, on this river, is very much famous and attracts a large number of visitors throughout the year to enjoy the beauty of nature.

3.1.5 Glaciers

Glaciers of Kashmir Valley play a prominent role in attracting tourists. The higher reaches of Kashmir are spread with small and large glaciers. The most important of all the glaciers in Kashmir region is Kolahoi glacier which lies in the north western Himalayan Maulanarange at an elevationAzad of Library,4700 meters. It isAligarh situated 26 kilo Muslimmeters north of University Pahalgam and 16 kilometers south from Sonmarg. Kolahoi glacier is the source of Lidder River. Thajiwas is another important glacier from the tourist point of view. This glacier provides trekking source to tourists. Apart from these two glaciers, there are many small glaciers of local importance (Mir, 2013).

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Photo Plate 7: Dal

Lake

Photo Plate 8: Nigeen

Lake

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 9: Manasbal 100Lake

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.2 Ecological Determinants 3.2.1 Biodiversity Regions

Kashmir is rich in forest wealth. It occupies about 8,128 Sq Km of forest area which is about 50.97 percent of the total forest area of the state. District Kupwara covers largest forest area in Kashmir and has about 1703 Sq. Kms. (71%) of its area under forests followed by Baramulla district which has 2690 Sq. Kms. (59%) of its areas under forests. The forest area of Kashmir is covered by a tall and wide variety of trees along with a wide variety of bushes. In different seasons they appear in different colours adding more beauty to the Kashmir. With its variety of geographical regions, climate and vegetation has many delights to offer the wildlife enthusiast. The presence of mountains, foothills and plains in the region abode a diverse species of flora and fauna.

However, it is remarkable that almost one-third of the world‟s mammalian species are native to these mountains. Some of the best-known animals found in the region are snow leopard, Common leopard, Brown bear, Hangul or Kashmiri stag, Bharal, red fox, Musk deer, langur, Himalayan black bear etc. Some birds which are found in Kashmir are Black eagle, Griffon vultures, Black and yellow grosbeak, Hobbys, Kestrels and Monal pheasants. There are several National parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries that have been established in Kashmir for the conservation of rare species of animals. Some of them are touristically very much importance such as (Mir, 2008).

3.2.1.1 Dachigam National Park

Being the important destination for wildlife-related tourism in the Kashmir Valley, Dachigam National Park has attained global fame for its rich faunal and floral wealth. This Park was constituted into a national park in 1981 with the main purpose of protecting the Kashmir stag or Hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu). It is located in the Zabarwan Range of the western Himalayas about 18 km northeast of Srinagar. Dachigam National Park comprises an area of 141 Sq. Km and is approximately 22.5 Km long, 8 Km wide. The National Park is divided into lower and upper Dachigam areas on the basis Maulanaof forest types Azad and altitudinal Library, range (Qureshi, Aligarh et. al., 2014). Muslim University Dachigam National Park is famous for the Kashmir Stag or “Hangul” (Cervus elaphus hanglu) endangered red deer species in the country. Added to this, the park is also home to other animals typical to the state such as Himalayan Brown Bear, Musk Deer, Himalayan Black Leopard, Hyena, etc. It also provides a home to over 150 species

101

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

of birds. The main ones are Starling golden oriole, Koklas, Golden eagle, Grey heron, Bearded vulture, Western yellow billed blue magpie, Monal, griffon vulture etc. It also houses over fifty species of trees, twenty of shrubs and five hundred species of herbs. The principal tree species are Abiespindrow, Juglanseregia, Bataulautilis, Salix species etc.

Dachigam National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the world which offers an entertaining view along with a Glacial fed rivulet flowing through the middle. It can easily qualify as a place of tourist attraction for its sheer scenic grandeur. The Sanctuary is rich not only in flora and fauna, but is also a bird watcher‟s paradise and even has a Trout fish farm. The best season for watching the birds inside the park is from the period of March to May, but during the period of September to March, the upper Dachigam will be the best site for watching the animals.

3.2.1.2 Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve

Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve is one of the most important and beautiful tourist places which capture the hearts and minds of tourists towards this tourist destination. It is located in Gulmarg 48 Km away from Srinagar summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It covers an area of about 180 Sq. Km and is situated at an altitude of 2400 to 4300 meters above sea level. Nature has gifted this Biosphere Reserve with multiple species of rare, endangered and protected species. The main species found in Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve are Hangul, Brown Bear, Musk Deer, Serow, Leopard, Red Fox, and Black Bear etc. This Biosphere Reserve is also dominating in the rich green cover of the area accounting for over ninety percent of vegetation. The principal species are Aesculus indica, Pinus griffithii, Cedrus deodar, Abies pindow etc. The major shrubs are Sorbaria Tomentosa, Indigofera Heterantha, etc. The ground surface of Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve is also very rich and Dicotyledonous herbs dominate the area, comprising of Rumex Patientia, etc. The Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve also provides a home to a good population of pheasants and upland birds both resident and migratory. The common birds are Griffon Vulture, Snow Cock, Monal, Koklas, Kashmir Roller, Blue Rock Pigeon, European Hoopoe, Jungle Crow, etc (Dewan, 2004). Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University 3.2.1.3 Overa Wildlife Sanctuary

Overa Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir about 76 Kms away from Srinagar. It covers an area of about 32.27 Sq. Kms. The Sanctuary lies in Lidder Valley Forest Division surrounded by Sindh Forest

102

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Division in the north; Lidder Forest in the south; Pahalgam in the east; and Dachigam National Park in the west. This wildlife sanctuary is characterized by stunning mountain landscapes, grass-clad hills and deep valleys (Khan, et.,al, 2012). The sanctuary provides refuge to 13 species of mammals most of which are on the verge of extinction. Some of them are musk deer, hangul, serow, langur, leopard, etc. This Sanctuary is also the habitat of 80 species of birds during different seasons.

The Overa Wildlife Sanctuary gives the glimpse of the rich variety of Kashmir's floral species. The main species are Pinus griffithii, Cedrus deodara, Morus Alba, Abies pindrow, Juglans regia etc. The basic shrub of the sanctuary boasts of Indigofera heterantha, Desmodium tiliaefolium, Isdon species etc. While the ground layer of this sanctuary is enclosed by a major coat of Dicotyledonous herbs, which consist mainly of Anemone species, Taraxacum officinale, Artemisia vulgaris, Primula species etc.

3.3 Historical Determinants

The beautiful valley of Kashmir attracted the kings and emperors who constructed numerous temples and palaces, which are still present in elegance and grandeur. This region is dotted with a number of gardens, shrines, monuments and historical sites.

3.1.3 Historical Mughal Gardens

The beautiful valley of Kashmir boasts a number of historical gardens which are considered as one of the best determinants of tourism development. These gardens are both visited by both domestic as well as foreign tourist throughout the year. Some of the famous historical gardens of Kashmir Valley are:

Shalimar Garden: Shalimar garden is the most beautiful of all the gardens of Kashmir. It lies 15 Km to the east of Srinagar and is situated on the shore of Dal lake. This beautiful garden was laid out by Jahangir in 1619 A.D. for his wife Noor Jahan. This garden covers an area of approximately 539 m by 182 m and is arranged into four terraces, rising one above the other. The top and fourth terrace of the garden which is called the “Adobe of Love” was at one point of time reserved for Mughal Emperors and ladies of the court. MaulanaThere is also Azad a water canal Library, lined with polished Aligarh stones running Muslim through the University center of the Shalimar Bagh. Shalimar garden offers an amazing view over the other gardens, lakes and shallow terraces. Other attractions of Shalimar garden include a number of fountains, shaded trees and innumerable varieties of flowers that bloom in spring and autumn.

103

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Nishat Garden: Nishat garden is one of the largest Mughal gardens of Kashmir. It is located on the bank of Dal Lake. The garden was designed by Asif Khan brother of Noor Jahan in 1633 A.D. Within the garden are ruins of some of the building dating back to the Mughal period. Nishat garden offers a splendid view of the Dal Lake as well as the snow capped Pir Panjal mountain range which stands far away to the west of the valley. The garden is arranged in a number of terraces one above another, each representing a different zodiac sign. The terraces are ornamented with a beautiful flower, the cypresses and the mighty Chinars. The well-arranged rows of fountain heads and the gushing streams of water, which flows down the succeeding terraces in cascades, adds to the beauty and charm of the garden. There is also a beautiful water channel flowing right in the middle of the garden. The other attractions of Nishat garden which plays an important role in attracting hearts of tourists include its blooming flowerbeds, trees, fountains, etc. This famous tourist spot also offers shopping facilities to its visitors.

Cheshmashahi Garden: Cheshmashahi garden is architecturally the most charming Mughal garden, located about 9 Kms from the heart of Srinagar city. This garden was set up by Shah Jahan in 1632 A.D on the foot hills of Zabarwan Mountains. This garden is quite famous for spring of energizing digestive mineral water inside it. This water is credited with medicinal properties and is highly prized. Cheshmashahi garden offers a striking view of the scenic Dal Lake and Jawahar Lal Nehru Botanical garden. The garden has a number of terraces and fountains built right through its center. The variety of fruits, flowers and chinar trees that grow in the garden also adds more beauty and charm to Cheshmashahi garden.

Naseem Bagh: Naseem Bagh of Srinagar is the oldest of the Kashmiri‟s Mughal Gardens. This garden was built by Akbar in 1586 and is situated on the western side of Dal Lake and offers a splendid view of the Dal Lake. It is about one kilometer beyond Hazratbal. Naseem Bagh is one of the favorite destinations in tourism itinerary. This garden is dotted with hundreds of magnificent chinar trees which are very much beautiful and attractive. The breezes of the Dal Lake make it an abode of calm and peaceful (Khan, Maulana2007). Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Harwan Garden: Harwan garden has very much importance from the tourist point of view. This famous beautiful garden is located in the district of Srinagar. It is beautiful tourist spot and is very much popular among excursionists. A beautiful canal, fed from a lake just behind the garden passes through its center. The canal is bordered with

104

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

blossoming flowerbeds and Chinar trees. Harwan garden does not have the usual terraces, artificial fountains, etc like other gardens of Kashmir. It has been deliberately kept devoid of these man-made things. The main attraction of Harwan garden which has made it one of the best tourist spot is its natural beauty that is present in plenty. The big lawns, carpeted with green grass, draw people automatically towards this beautiful place. Being an ideal spot for picnics and excursions, Harwan is the perfect place to take long walks in the lap of nature. It also serves as a take-off point for visiting Dachigam wildlife sanctuary and a starting point of a Mahadev Mountain trek.

Achabal Garden: Achabal Garden is situated in Anantnag district at a distance of 58 Km from Srinagar. It served as the pleasure retreat of the Mughal Empress Noor Jahan. Achabal Garden is adorned with one of the best Mughal Gardens in India. The beautifully laid out garden in the Mughal (Persian) style sparkles with a charm and character, which is quite unique to it. This garden is beautifully decorated with chinar trees. The other attractions of Achabal Garden that make this garden more attractive are its stepped terraces, conventional elegance, ornamental shrubs, gleaming fountains and flowering water (Rehman, 2005)

Tulip Garden: Tulip garden is one of the most beautiful flower garden located in the foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range with an overview of picturesque world famous Dal Lake. Tulip Garden is surrounded on three sides by the Nishat Bagh and Chashma Shahi Mughal Gardens of Srinagar. It spreads over an area of about 12 hectares. Earlier this garden was known as Siraj Bagh but later its name was renamed as Indira Gandi Tulip Garden. This beautiful garden was developed on the directions of Ghulam Nabi Azad former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2007 with the aim of boost floriculture and advancing the tourism in Kashmir valley (Naik, 2008)

Tulip garden is the Asia's largest garden that has around two million multicolored tulips of more than 70 varieties that ornament and add colour to 12 acres of the Kashmiri Landscape. This garden resembles beautiful carpets that has hundreds of colours and provide a heavenly view and display their beauty to the thousands of visitors. A Tulip MaulanaFestival is held Azad annually Library, in Kashmir in the Aligarh month of April Muslim since 2007 to promoteUniversity tourism of Kashmir and has been quite successful in attracting people from all over the globe. This traditional event greets spring with thousands of tulips blooming in innumerable colours and varieties. Thousands of tourists from different places come each year to celebrate tulip festival in Kashmir.

105

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Photo Plate 10: Nishat Garden

Photo Plate 11: Shalimar Garden

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 12: Chashme Shahi Garden

106

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Photo Plate 13: Harwan Garden

Photo Plate 14: Achabal Garden

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 15: Tulip Garden 107

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.4 Religious Determinants

Kashmir Valley is well-known for its cultural uniqueness right from the olden days. It has from times immemorial been the home of gods and godess, renowned mystics, sadhus, pandiths, rishis, peers and faqirs. The numerous temples, shrines, mosques, which have survived the ravages of time and in clemencies of weather are living testimonials to prove the fact. There has been a very unique tradition among the people of Kashmir for preaching and worshipping of each other‟s religious and pilgrimage centers. There are well renowned Hindu shrines co-existing with the equal famous Muslim pilgrimage centers that are in the highest esteem by the people of every faith. Kashmir is the abode of Holy shrines; this aspect is responsible for attracting a large number of devotees every year, which has ultimately led to a boom in the tourism industry (Bhat, 2013). Some of the important sacred places that attract tourist are:

3.4.1 Jamia Masjid of Srinagar

Jamia Masjid is located in the core of the old city of Srinagar. This mosque was originally built by Sultan Sikandar in 1400, and enlarged by his son Zain-Ul- Abidin. The principal characteristics of the mosque are the four minars (Pillars) and eight wooden columns as support. This mosque is visited by thousands of people who assemble here for the Friday prayers. It has also very much importance from the tourist point of view and it plays an important role in increasing the economy of Kashmir (Naik, 2008).

3.4.2 Hazratbal Shrine

Hazratbal Shrine is the most sacred Muslim shrine located on the western shore of Dal lake. The architecture of the shrine is a combination of Mughals and traditional Kashmiris. This shrine has special sanctity as the Prophet Mohammad‟s (S.A.W) relic that is the „Moi-e-Muqqadus‟ is preserved in this shrine. This relic was brought thousands of years ago from Medina by Sayed Abdullah in 111 A.H and is usually displayed to the public on certain sacred and holy days (Hussain, et, al., 1985). This shrine provides an opportunity for the people to participate in the colourful and exciting fairs that are being Maulanaheld every year. AzadThis shrine Library, attracts thousands Aligarh of devotees from Muslim all over the countryUniversity who pay homage at the shrine (Rehman, 2005).

108

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.4.3 Khanqah of Shah-E-Hamdan

Khanqah of Shah-E-Hamdan shrine-cum-mosque stands on the right bank of Jhelum in Srinagar city. This historical shrine was built in 1395 by the renowned Iraqui mystic, scholar and poet Mir Sayed Hamdani, popularly known as Shah Hamdan in the Kashmir Valley. He came from Persia in the 13th century and spread Islam in Kashmir. At Khanqah Mohalla a festival is held every year on 6th Zilhaj (the 12th lunar month) at the anniversary of the great saint in which thousands of people participate in order to offer the prayers (Kak, 2002).

3.4.4 Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara

Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara is situated just outside the south gate of Hari Parbat fort. It is one of the most important Sikh Gurduwaras in Kashmir. It is dedicated to the sixth guru of Sikhism who stopped here to preach occasionally while travelling through this place.

3.4.5 Kheer Bhavani

Kheer Bhavani spring is the most sacred place for Hindus. It is situated at Tulmulla in the Srinagar district. Hindus must abstain from meat on the days when visiting Kheer Bhavani or the milk goddess. An annual festival is being held here in May or June when a number of devotees visit this place to offer prayers. The beautiful spring of clear water overshadowed by fabulous shady trees and full of sacred fish adds an ethereal beauty to this place (Mir, 2008).

3.4.6 Charar-e-Sharief Shrine

Charar-e-Sharief shrine is located in Budgam district about 35 Kilometres from Srinagar. It is 600 years old Muslim shrine. This pilgrimage destination is considered one of the most sacred Muslim shrines because it entombs leading Rishi (Saint) of Kashmir, popularly known as Hazrat Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Wali. At this shrine, there is the largest congregation of people, where thousands of Muslims attend the shrine to invoke the Maulanablessing of theAzad saint. On Library, the eve of festival Aligarh his wooden stick,Muslim shoes etc areUniversity displayed to pilgrims. This sacred place provides an opportunity for tourists to learn about the history of the sacred place of worship (Hussain, et, al., 1985).

109

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.4.7 Amarnath Shrine

Amarnath cave is one the most sacred pilgrimage destination of Hindus. It is located at an altitude of 5000 meters inside the glacial gorge in the Himalayas about 141 Kms from the Srinagar and 45 Kms from Pahalgam tourist destination. The cave is 9 meters deep and is 14 meters high in the middle (Raina, 2002). It is one of oldest and the holiest of all Hindu shrines and is said to be over 5000 years old. This sacred shrine has a mythological and historical importance as according to the Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva has explained the secret of creation and immortality to his wife, Goddess Parvati in this cave.

The Amarnath cave is visited by millions of Hindu pilgrims from Kashmir as well as other parts of India on the full moon day on the month of Sawan (July-August) every year. According to a common faith, the self-formed ice lingam in the cave reaches the maximum height on Purnima in the month of Sawan (July-August), when Shiva is supposed to have divulged to Parvati the secret of salvation. On this day millions of pilgrims negotiating the most difficult ridges arrive at the holy cave for worship or Dharshan of Lord Shiva (Hussain, et; al, 1985).

The Holy “Amarnath Cave”, enclosed by the awe-inspiring Himalayas, attracts tourists to experience the beauty, apart from offering worship. The place is so calm, so scenery and attractive that anybody who has a common sense, finds a sprit moving everywhere around it. There are two different routes to reach Amarnath shrine. The traditional trekking route passes via Pahalgam, Sheshnag and Panchtarni. The trek from Pahalgam to Amarnath Cave can be covered in four days with night halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panchtarni. The distance from Pahalgam to Chandanwari can be covered in about five to six hours. The new route is via Baltal covering about 400 km from Jammu (Naik, 2008).

3.4.8 Shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Naqshbandi

The shrine of Khanqah of Khwaja Moinuddin Naqshbandi is popularly known as MaulanaNaqshband Shrine, Azad which is Library, located in the core Aligarh of Srinagar city.Muslim It was built byUniversity Emperor Shah Jahan. This shrine has an important religious significance because the sacred hair of Prophet Muhammad was kept at this mosque before moving it to the Hazratbal Mosque. This sacred place is visited by thousands of Muslim devotees every year.

110

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.4.9 Ziarat Muqam Shah Wali Sahib

The shrine is of famous Saint Zaiti Shah Wali, located in village Muqam Shah in district Kupwara. The Shrine of Zaiti Shah, his sister‟s tomb, his brother's tomb and a Jamia Masjid are located in the same premises in the village. The shrine is treated equally sacred by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. There are so many spiritual and super natural activities attributed to the saint. The shrine is a hot spot of pilgrimage tourism. A three- day mela (Festival) is being held in May every year at the Shrine in which people are participating in large numbers (Mir and Ahmed, 2015).

3.4.10 Makhdum Sahib Shrine

Makhdum Sahib Shrine mainly a double story mosque lies the Srinagar city. This shrine has been built after the name of Sufi Saint Makhdum Sahib or Hazrat Sultan. It is located below the historical Hari Parbat Fort and has been constructed as per the archaeological values and ancient culture of the Mughals. This shrine is open all round the year for the visitors (Hussain, et., al, 1985).

3.4.11 Dastgir Sahib Shrine

Dastgir Sahib Shrine is considered as one of the most sacred places of worship and an important historical religious site in Kashmir. For many centuries, this shrine has been well known for its communal harmony and syncretism. There are panels in this shrine are colourful and have been carved for wrenching down the Aytal Kursi. This shrine is open throughout the year for visitors. Pilgrims come to this shrine and tie threads or pieces of clothes to the wooden ledge for fulfilling their needs.

3.4.12 Shrine of Shah Zain-ud-Din

Shrine of Shah Zain-Ud-Din is very much famous shrine located at Aishmuqam Village of Anantnag district of J&K. It is about 74 Kms away from the Srinagar city. Inside the shrine there lies a grave of famous Sufi saint Sheikh Zain-Ud-din. His anniversary is celebrated on the 13th of Baisakhi every year. Not only Muslims but people Maulanafrom every faithAzad and from Library, far and wide in Aligarhthe valley participate Muslim (Hussain, et.,University al, 1985). Besides these there are many other historical shrines in Kashmir Valley which have very much significance among pilgrims and that plays a key role in boosting the tourism sector of Kashmir, such as Baba Rishi Shrine, Mosque of Saint Madin Sahib, Temple of Sarika Devi, Pandrethan, Shrine of Syed Janbaz wali, Pampur shrine etc.

111

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Photo Plate 16: Hazratbal Shrine

Photo Plate 17: Baba Reshi Shrine

Photo Plate 18: Amarnath Cave

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 19: Kheerbawani Temple 112

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.5 Historical Heritage Sites

Kashmir has a complex cultural and historical fabric. The many historical monuments and places of worship are long-standing evidence of the historical unity of Kashmir despite the many diverse religious denominations and sects recognized in the valley since ancient times. There are several Hindu temples that are more than 1000 years old as well as ancient mosques that are landmarks of Kashmir. Also, numerous Gurudwaras and monasteries can be found in many places throughout the Valley which are most significant in the development of tourism of Kashmir.

3.5.1 Shankaracharya Temple

Shankaracharya Temple is one of the best historical monuments of Kashmir which is situated on the top of Takht-e-Sulaiman hill, to the south-east of Srinagar city. The ancient temple is believed to have been built about 2500 years ago by King Gopaditya. Dating back to 250 BC, it is believed that it was the place where the great philosopher and saint Shankaracharya stayed when he visited Kashmir ten centuries ago. It was then this place came to be known by his name instead of its former name Gopadri. The temple is built on a high octagonal plinth approached by a long flight of steps enclosed by two side walls which originally bore two Persian inscriptions (Bakshi, 1997).

The temple of Shankaracharya commands one of the finest views in the whole Kashmir. The view of the city with its green, turfed roofs, covered in the spring with iris, tulip and variety of other flowers is without a doubt unique. This Temple has very much importance from the tourist point of view as it attracts tourists from all the states of the country and outside the country. It makes a significant contribution to improving the tourism sector of Kashmir (Bhat, 2014).

3.5.2 Pari Mahal

Pari Mahal is situated in Srinagar and is valued more as a historical monument rather than a garden or park. The Mahal was initially a Buddhist Monastery, which was later converted into an observatory and a school of astrology by Dara Shikoh, the eldest Maulanason of Mughal Azad Emperor Library,Shah Jahan. He devotedAligarh the Place Muslim to his Sufi teacher University Mulla Shah. It is enriched with a number of charming fountains. The five storey building is almost ruined, but the remnants are still maintained by the Government. The picture sight of the famous Dal Lake and illuminative images of Pari Mahal at night is an important tourist attraction (Bhat, 2014)

113

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.5.3 Hari Parbat Fort

The Hari Parbat hill crowned by the Pathan fort, which is able to be seen from every part of the city, has from time immemorial been a place of great sanctity in Kashmir. It is an ancient Mughal Fort which is situated to the western side of the Dal Lake. The surrounding walls of the fort were built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1590. But the present fort was built in 1808 under the reign of Shuja Shah Durrani and Atta Muhammad Khan, an Afghan governor. The presence of the Muslim shrine Makhdoom Sahib, Hindu temple, Sikh shrine Chatti Padshahi and the Chakreshwari in the vicinity add to the significance of the fort.

In modern times, both Hindus and Muslims have appropriated parts of the hill for their shrines; but neither the shrine of ziarat of Makhdum Sahib nor the Chakreshwari possesses any architectural concentration. The fort, which is for the most part in ruins, is nearly 3 miles in circumference. It has two gates, the Kathi Darwaza and the Sangin Darwaza. The Kathi Darwaza to have been the principal entry with Persian commemorative inscriptions surrounding it while the Sangin is more elaborate with sculptured windows on either side. It is a very simple structure, comprising a domed chamber in the middle with two side recesses. Its only external decorations are rectangular, arched panels and two beautiful medallions.

3.5.4 Tomb of Zain-ul-Abidin’s Mother

Tomb of Zain-ul-Abidin‟s Mother is located in the area of Sri Ranbir Ganj of old city Srinagar which is the busiest and most important trading market of Kashmir Valley. This monument has very much importance because it is that historical monument which is unlike and unparallel from others. However, it is attractive in a couple of ways, the first being in the structural design of the main mausoleum itself, and second in the evidence of it having being built at the site of an earlier Hindu temple.

This ancient monument was built by Zain-ul-Abidin (A.D. 1421-1472) in the memory of his beloved mother. The main characteristics of this tomb are the glazed and Maulanamoulded blue bricks, Azad which Library,are studded at intervals Aligarh in the exterior Muslim walls, the semicircularUniversity brick projections, on the drum of the main dome. The wooden lintels of the ventilation apertures are remarkably well preserved. The shape of the structure in unusual though, being evocative of Church architecture (Kak, 2002).

114

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.5.5 Awantipora Temples

The famous Awantipora Temples are believed to have been built in honour of God Mahadev by Awanti Varma. These temples are located in Awantipora twenty-nine kilometers away from Srinagar. The temples although in ruins, are of great archaeological importance. King Awantivarman founded the city in the 9th century. There are two main temples, one of which is Shiva-Avantishvara, which is larger and marked by massive walls. The sculptured relief is principally found on the walls of the entrance and the flank walls of the stairs depict men and women in the act of drinking, lovemaking and other such merriments. The base is either a plain square block with the upper edge (Rehman, 2005).

3.5.6 Martand Temple

The most memorable and beautiful work of Emperor Lalitaditya of Surya (meaning solar) dynasty is the construction of spacious Martand temple dedicated to the Sun god, Bhaskar. The style of construction of the temple and the skill of the makers are rare in the entire history of the world. Now, in ruins, it is still appreciable for its design, art and beauty. Martand temple is a mirror of the art and skill of Kashmiri Hindus. It is built with strong and square limestone. Its pillars have a Greek pattern that lends splendour to this structure.

3.5.7 Patthar Masjid

Patthar Masjid is one of the most important historical monuments of Kashmir located in the heart of Srinagar city. It is said that the mosque has been built by the Emperor Nur Jahan in 1623 A.D. The Patthar Masjid, “The Stone Mosque,” so called in contradistinction to the native wooden mosques of the valley, is the leading surviving example. The facade consists of nine arches, including the large convex opening in the center. The arched openings are enclosed in shallow decorative cusped arches, which in their turn are enclosed in rectangular frames. The horizontal construction of these arches is remarkable.

MaulanaThe roofAzad consists Library, of twenty-seven Aligarh domes, the central Muslim one of which University is the biggest. The domes are mostly ridged inside. The roof is supported inside on eighteen extraordinarily substantial square columns having projections on two sides. There is a tradition that, being once questioned regarding the cost of its construction, she pointed to her jeweled slippers and replied, "As much as that." The jest was reported to the mullahs,

115

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

who unanimously decreed that by this irreverent allusion the mosque had become despoiled, and was unfit for religious use. For this reason, the Patthar Masjid has never been used as a place of prayer (Bhat, 2014).

3.5.8 Bumazuv Cave and Temples

The village Bumazuv is located only a mile to the north of the sacred springs of Bavan (Matan) in Anantnag district. This village contains the only important group of artificial caves in Kashmir. They are natural excavations but only one of them possesses architectural interest. It is carved out of a large mass of limestone cliffs overlooking a landscape of great beauty. The stone in which this excavation is made is of a very friable nature. The facade of the gateway has, therefore, been built of stone building material in lime. It consists of a single trefoil-arched doorway, surmounted by a pediment, and side walls. The beam is decorated with a row of rosettes and the cornice with a row of slightly projecting dentils, whose intervening spaces appear to have been filled with figures of dancing dwarfs, all of which are now defaced. In the interior of the cave is a small temple which is like in style to other temples of Kashmir. It is 9' 5" square outwardly and stands on a base 4' 6" in height. A remarkable feature, which points to its being a decadent example, is the very slight projection of the porch (Kak, 2002).

3.5.9 Sri Pratap Singh Museum

Sri Pratap Singh Museum has a historical well as archaeological importance, as it was the one-time summer place of the past kings of the princely state of Kashmir. Sri Pratap Singh Museum was established in 1898. The main characteristics of this museum are that it houses some of the exceptional terracotta heads of 3rd century that were collected from the Buddhist place in Ushkur Baramulla of Kashmir. It also has many moulded terracotta plaques dating back to 4th and 5th century from Harwan (Mir and Ahmed, 2015).

3.5.10 Tomb of Madin Sahib

Tomb of Madin Sahib is a unique tomb and is has historical importance from the Maulanavery beginning. AzadThis historical Library, monument was Aligarh built in the memory Muslim of Saint MadinUniversity Sahib and the inscription on the lintel of the entrance of the tomb records the date of its erection as A.H 1483 in the regin of Zain-Ul-Abidin. This tomb lies towards the north side of Madin Sahib Mosque in Zadibal area of Srinagar city of Kashmir. It has the 15th century Kashmiri architectural style with the peripheral walls decorated with tiles (Bhat, 2014).

116

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.6 Socio-economic Profile of the Sampled Tourists

A survey of foreign as well as the domestic tourists was conducted at eight known tourist destinations of Kashmir, with the objective of ascertaining the various attributes of tourism development. In order to assess the attributes of tourism development in Kashmir, first, we need to understand the demographic particulars and socio-economic aspects of tourists such as age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, income. With these six parameters, a profile of the respondents is drawn by adopting percentages, mean, etc. Each of these items is analyzed from two different angles: total-wise and category-wise. Besides this, the problems faced by the tourists during their visit were also analyzed and suggestions to control that problems, new concepts, ideas and conclusions were drawn.

3.6.1. Nationality and Sex profile of Sampled Tourists

As per the findings of the data and table 3.1, it has been found that 24 percent of sampled tourists were foreigners and 76 percent were domestic with male-female proportion of 61.20 percent and 38.80 percent respectively. As the result, the percentage of male respondents was much higher as compared to female.

Table 3.1: Nationality and Sex Profile of Sampled Tourists (N=500) Nationality Frequency Percentage Male Percentage Female Percentage Foreign 120 24.00 64 53.33 56 46.67 Domestic 380 76.00 242 63.68 138 36.32 Total 500 100 306 61.20 194 38.80 Sources: Based on the Field Survey, 2015-2016

Nationality-wise Classification of Sampled Tourists (In Percentage)

Foreign 24%

Domestic 76% Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 3.1

117

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Sex -wise Classification of Sampled Tourists (In Percentage)

Female 39% Male 61%

Figure 3.2

3.6.2 Age Profile of Sampled Tourists

Age wise classification of the respondents is one of the major and important elements in understanding the socio-economic profile of the respondents. Age profile of the respondents has been categorized into four age groups viz. below 20, 20-35, 35-50 and above 50 years. The frequencies and percentages of respondents in each group have been presented in table 3.2. So far as the foreign tourists are concerned, the higher age group was found to be 35-50 years which comprises 52.50 percent of tourist followed by 20-35 and above 50 years that comprises 40 percent and 7.50 percent of the sampled tourists respectively. The lowest age group was found below 20 years in which no foreign tourists ware seen during the survey. Similarly, the higher age group for the domestic tourists lies under class 20-35 that constitutes 40.53 percent of sampled tourists. This class was followed by 35-50 year and above 50 years age group which comprises of 32.89 and 21.58 percent respondents respectively. The lowest percentage of domestic tourists was found in the age group of below 20 years that constitutes only 5 percent.

The overall percentage (foreign and domestic) of surveyed tourists in various age Maulanagroups was als oAzad calculated. Library, Table 3.2, depict Aligarhs that majority Muslimof sampled tourists University (40.40) were between in the age group of 20-35 years followed by 35-50 years age group that comprises 37.60 percent of total tourists. The lowest percentage of tourists lies in the age group of below 20 years and above 50 years that constitutes 3.80 percent and 18.20 percent of total surveyed tourists respectively. Since tourism is a phenomenon that is

118

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

mostly undertaken by the youth. Same is the case with the tourists visiting Kashmir where most of the tourists belong to the younger generation. So the majority of the tourists who visited Kashmir were young productive age group followed by of middle-aged group.

Table 3.2: Age Profile of Sampled Tourists (N=500) Age Foreign Domestic Total Tourist Group Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Below 20 0 00.00 19 05.00 19 3.80 20-35 48 40.00 154 40.53 202 40.40 35-50 63 52.50 125 32.89 188 37.60 Above 50 9 07.50 82 21.58 91 18.20 Total 120 100 380 100.00 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Survey, 2015-2016.

Age-wise Classification of Sampled Tourists

60 52.5

50 40.53 40 40 32.89

30 21.58

InPercentage 20 7.5 5 10 0 0 Below 20 20-35 35-50 Above 50 Age Groups Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists

Figure 3.3

3.6.3 Educational Status of Surveyed Tourists

Educational background of a respondent is a predominant factor which affects the socio-economic development of an area, especially with regard to tourism-related Maulanaeconomic activities. Azad The Library, education status Aligarh of the tourists Muslim has been classified University into five categories such as Illiterate, Primary, Secondary, Higher and Professional. The frequency and percentage sampled tourists in each group has been presented in table 3.3.

119

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 3.3: Education Status of Surveyed Tourists (N=500) Education Foreign Domestic Total Tourist Level Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Illiterate 0 0.00 72 18.95 72 14.40 Primary 0 0.00 68 17.89 68 13.60 Secondary 11 9.17 88 23.16 99 19.80 Higher 97 80.83 129 33.95 226 45.20 Professional 12 10.00 23 6.05 35 7.00 Total 120 100.00 380 100.00 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Survey, 2015-2016.

Educational Status of Surveyed Tourists 100

80.83

60 33.95 40 23.16 InPercentage 18.95 17.89 10 20 9.17 6.05 0 0 0 Illiterate Primary Secondary Higher Professional Education Level Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists Figure 3.4

Table 3.3 and Figure 3.4, depicts that majority of the sampled tourists were well educated. Around 20 percent of the tourists were having secondary education. Another 45 percent and 7 percent were having higher and professional education respectively. Thus near about 72 percent of the tourists were well educated. Only about 14 percent tourists were illiterate while the remaining 14 percent had their education up to primary level. So it is clear from the above table that the majority of sampled tourists were well educated. Maulana The table Azad 3.3 also revealedLibrary, that there Aligarh is a large variation Muslim in the education University status between foreign and domestic tourists. It was found from the analysis that 84 percent foreign tourist were having higher education and 10 percent were having professional and remaining 9 percent of foreign tourist were having secondary education. None of the foreign tourists was found illiterate and having primary education during the survey. Similarly, in case of domestic tourists, 33 percent were having higher education, 23 120

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

percent were having secondary and 6 percent were having a professional education. Thus a total of 62 percent of domestic tourists were well educated. The percentage of primary education among domestic tourists was 18 percent while 19 percent of domestic tourists were found illiterate having no education. Therefore large variation in the education system has been found between the foreign and domestic tourists during the survey.

3.6.4 Occupational Structure

Occupational structure of sampled tourists visiting Kashmir was divided into six categories viz. Employed, Business, Student, Retired, Agriculture and Other. Among the foreign tourists, largest percentage of visitors belongs to employed category (68.33 percent) while as the lowest percentage of foreign visitors were noticed in agriculture category where none of the foreign tourist was found in this category. This indicates that the employed people are in a better position to afford foreign trips. Similarly, from the domestic tourists, the largest percentage of tourists was found from the business group comprising 48.95 percent of total domestic tourists. While as the least percentage of domestic tourist was noticed under the retired category of occupational structure (6.05). If we look at the total sampled tourists (foreign and domestics), the majority of the visitors were found from business class constituting 41.80 percent of total sampled tourists followed by employed class having 27.40 percent. Similarly, the least percentage of sampled tourists was found in a retired group containing 5.40 percent of total sampled tourists. The frequency and percentage of sampled tourists in each group have been presented in table 3.4 and figure 3.5.

Table 3.4: Occupational Structure of Surveyed Tourists (N=500) Occupational Foreign Domestic Total Tourist Structure Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Employed 82 68.33 55 14.47 137 27.40 Business 23 19.67 186 48.95 209 41.80 Student 7 05.83 38 10.00 45 09.00 Retired 4 03.34 23 6.05 27 5.40 MaulanaAgriculture Azad0 Library,00.00 Aligarh45 11.84 Muslim 45 University9.00 Other 4 03.33 33 8.68 37 7.40 Total 120 100.00 380 100.00 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

121

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

68.33 Occupational Structure of Sampled Tourists 70 60 48.95 50

30 19.67

InPercentage 14.47 20 11.84 10 8.68 5.83 6.05 10 3.34 3.33 0 0 Employed Business Student Retired Agriculture Other Occuptional Level

Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists Figure 3.5

3.6.5 Income Status

The income profile of the sampled tourists has been categorized into five groups viz; below Rs 20000, 20000-40000, 40000-60000, 60000-80000 and above 80000. Among the foreign tourists, largest percentage of visitors belongs to high-level income group above Rs 80000 (37.50 percent) followed 30 percent by the group having income range between 60000-80000. While as the zero percentage of foreign visitors were noticed in the income group of tourists having income below 20000. Similarly, the highest percentage (41.85) of domestic tourists was noticed in the income group ranging between Rs 20000-40000 followed by Rs 40000-60000 income group which comprises 31.05 percent of sampled domestic tourists. The lowest percentage (5.26) of domestic visitors was found in the income group of above Rs 80000.

From the total sampled tourists (foreign and domestic), it has been found that majority of the visitors belongs to the income group ranges from Rs 20000-40000 having 33.40 percent share of total tourists sampled. This was followed by 29.80 percent of Maulanatourists having incomeAzad between Library, Rs 40000-60000. Aligarh Similarly, theMuslim lowest percentage University of total sampled tourists was 8.40 percent found in the income group of above Rs 80000. The frequency and percentage of sampled tourists in each group have been presented in table 3.5 and figure 3.6.

122

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 3.5: Income Status of Surveyed Tourists (N=500) Monthly Foreign Domestic Total Tourist Income Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Below 20000 0 0.00 42 11.05 42 8.40 20000-40000 8 6.67 159 41.85 167 33.40 40000-60000 31 25.83 118 31.05 149 29.80 60000-80000 36 30.00 41 10.79 77 15.40 Above80000 45 37.50 20 5.26 65 13.00 Total 120 100.00 380 100.00 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Income Status of Surveyed Tourists 50 41.85

37.5 40 31.05 30 30 25.83

20 11.05 10.79 InPercentage 6.67 10 5.26 0 0 Below 20000 20000-40000 40000-60000 60000-80000 Above80000 Income Level Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists

Figure 3.6

3.7 Travel Characteristics of Sampled Tourists

3.7.1 Source of Information

Source of information regarding tourism of Kashmir have been categorized into five classes viz; Internet, Books and Guides, Relatives and Friends, Travel Agencies and Part of Travel Package. Among the sampled foreign tourists, the internet has been found the main source of information for about 52.50 percent of foreign visitors followed by Books and Guides (22.50 percent), Travel Agencies (13.33 percent), Friends and MaulanaRelatives (6.67 Azad percent) Library, and Part of Travel Aligarh Package (5 Muslim percent). However, University the major source of information for the sampled domestic visitors comprised of Friends and Relatives class (33.16 percent), followed by Internet (22.37 percent), Travel Agencies (18.16 percent), Part of Travel Package (14.47 percent) and Books and Guides (11.84 percent). The analysis reveals the fact that because of the respective level of development

123

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

of developed (foreign) developing (domestic) societies and their consequent social setup, the degree of dissemination of tourism information, exposure and awareness level vary. This is shown in Table 3.6 and Figure 3.7.

Table 3.6: Source of Information about visiting Kashmir (N=500) Source of Foreign Tourists Domestic Tourists Total Tourist Information Frequency %age Frequency %age Frequency %age

Internet 63 52.50 85 22.37 148 29.60 Books and Guides 27 22.50 45 11.84 72 14.40 Friends and 8 6.67 126 33.16 134 26.80 Relatives Travel Agencies 16 13.33 69 18.16 85 17.00 Travel Package 6 5.00 55 14.47 61 12.20 Total 120 100.00 380 100.00 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Source of Information about Visit Kashmir 60 52.5

50 40 33.16 30 22.37 22.5 18.16 14.47

20 11.84 13.33 In Percentage In 6.67 5 10 0 Internet Books and Friends and Travel Part of Travel Guides Relatives Agencies Package Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists

Figure 3.7 3.7.2 Preference of Accommodation

Accommodation is one of the most important factors which play a key role in the tourist arrival. Tourists prefer different types of accommodation facilities during their Maulanavisit. Table 3.7 Azadreveals that Library,the maximum percentage Aligarh of domestic Muslim tourists prefers University hotels for their accommodation while as the foreign tourists prefer Tourist Bangalow or Guest Houses for their accommodation because in the Tourist Banglows or Guest Houses the safety and security is good and facilities available there are also better. Although Guest Houses and Bungalows are a little bit costlier than the hotels. In Kashmir, due to the insurgency little percentage or no tourists want to stay in Dharamshalas or resntal houses. 124

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 3.7 and Figure 3.8 shows that only 4 percent of the sampled domestic tourists stay in their relatives and friends. The foreign tourists have either no relatives or friends there in Kashmir and also they don‟t prefer to stay in the friends and relatives houses. Only 3 percent of domestic tourists were found to stay in rental houses while as no foreign tourists were found in this category. If we compare the sampled foreign and domestic tourists accommodation type we find that 68 percent domestic tourists preferred hotels for their accommodation while as only 39 percent of sampled foreign tourists preferred hotels for their accommodation. Similarly, about 42 percent of sampled foreign tourist preferred Guest Houses for their accommodation while as only 19 percent of the sampled domestic tourists stayed in the Guest Houses. Regarding the Houseboat accommodation, it was found that 19 percent of foreign tourists stayed in Houseboats while as only 6 percent of sampled domestic tourists were found staying in this category of accommodation.

Table 3.7: Sampled Tourists Preference of Accommodation during Visit Accommodation Type Domestic Tourists (%) Foreign Tourists (%) Hotels 68 39 Guest Houses 19 42 Houseboats 6 19 Friends/Relatives 4 0 Rental houses 3 0 Others 0 0 Total 100.00 10.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Preference of Accommodation of Sampled Tourists

80 68

60 39 42 40 19 19

In Percentage In 20 6 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists Figure 3.8

125

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.7.3 Prime Motivating Factor of Travel

Tourists prefer „group travel‟ as most of the respondents travel in groups. Every tourist destinations have some special attributes or products which possess the ability or capacity to entertain or educate or fulfill religious or spiritual purposes. The prime motivating factors for tourists to their travel to the Kashmir are spending holidays in the cool and natural environment, enjoying the scenic beauty of Kashmir, amaranth pilgrimage, the honeymoon for newly couples. However, it is important to mention here that for „pilgrimage‟ and „honeymoon‟ purpose mostly domestic tourists were found during the survey. No foreign tourist has been found to visit the region for pilgrimage purpose and few foreign tourists were found for honeymoon purpose. Although the natural scenery, adventure sports, romantic Houseboats and Shikaras of Kashmir are considered ideal for foreign tourists to spend their valuable time there. Kashmir has been recently recommended as an ultimate honeymoon destination by UK based travel magazine „Traveller‟ for the month of July along with Iceland and Botswana (Shewakramani, 2013).

Table 3.8 and Figure 3.9 depicts that out of total 500 sampled tourists, 184 (36.80 percent) stated their main purpose of visiting Kashmir was spending holidays. About 112 (22.40 percent) all were domestic tourists who came from the mainland India said that their prime motivating factor was a pilgrimage. Because the Amarnath Pilgrimage in the Valley is remaining open for the pilgrims during the months of June and July. About 102 (20.40 percent) mentioned their purpose of visit as sightseeing and enjoying the cool and pleasant environment of Kashmir. About 46 (9.20 percent) of sampled tourists mostly foreign visitors said they were highly motivated to travel Kashmir primarily due to adventurous activities especially trekking and white water rafting. It was also found during the survey that 19 (3.80 percent) tourists were newly wedded couples who came for enjoying their honeymoon in Kashmir. About 18 tourists (3.60 percent) said that their prime motive for visiting Kashmir was to meet their friends and relatives. While as 14 tourists (2.80 percent) said that they came for their official or business-related work. Only Maulana5 tourists (1 percent) Azad who wereLibrary, mostly students Aligarh and also domestic Muslim said that University their main purpose of visiting Kashmir was education.

126

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 3.8: Prime Motivating Factors of Tourists to Visit Kashmir (N=500) Purpose of visit Number of Tourist Percentage of Tourists Holiday Spending 184 36.80 Sight seeing 102 20.40 Pilgrimage 112 22.40 Adventure Sports 46 09.20 Honeymoon 19 03.80 Official or Business work 14 02.80 Educational 5 01.00 Visiting friends and relatives 18 03.60 Total 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

36.8 Purpose of Visit of Sampled Tourists

30 20.4 22.4 20 9.2 10 3.8 2.8 3.6

In Percentage In 1 0

Figure 3.9

3.7.4 Frequency of Tourist Visits

A significant number of tourists interviewed were the first time visitors. After the analysis, it has been observed that out of total sampled tourists 63.80 percent were the first time visitors to Kashmir followed by 19.40 percent as second time visitors, 10.80 percent as third time visitors and 6 percent as above three time visitors. The tourists who Maulanavisits three orAzad more than Library, three times constitutes Aligarh mainly AMuslimmaranth visitors University and business related segments. The table 3.9 revealed that among the foreign tourists it has been found that majority of the foreign tourists (85 percent) were first time visitors, 08.33 percent were second time visitors, 4.17 percent were third time visitors and only 2.50 percent were found in the category of more than three visits. Similarly, in case of domestic

127

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

tourists, it was found that 57.10 percent of sampled domestic tourists were the first time visitors. This was followed by 22.90 percent domestic tourists, who were second time visitors, 12.89 percent were third time visitors and only 7.11 percent domestic tourists were found in the more than three visit class.

Table 3.9: Frequency of Sampled Tourist Visits to Kashmir (N=500) Frequency of Foreign Tourists Domestic Tourists Total Tourist Tourist Visit Frequency % age Frequency % age Frequency % age First Visit 102 85.00 217 57.10 319 63.80 Second Visit 10 08.33 87 22.90 97 19.40 Third Visit 5 04.17 49 12.89 54 10.80 Above three Visits 3 02.50 27 07.11 30 06.00 Total 120 100.00 380 100.00 500 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Frequency of Sampled Tourists Visit to Kashmir

100 85

80 57.1 60

40 22.9 12.89 8.33 7.11

20 4.17 2.5 In Percentage In 0 First Visit Second Visit Third Visit Above three Domestic Tourists Foreign Tourists Visits

Figure 3.10

3.7.5 Change Observed by the repeat Visitors

After analysis, the number and percentage of tourists who visited more than one time to Kashmir has been calculated. Out of 181 repeat visitors, 2.73 percent found better infrastructure facilities than before. About 23.76 percent responded that the natural Maulanaenvironment or Azad the infrastructure Library, facilities areAligarh same as in Muslimtheir previous visitsUniversity (Table 3.10). About 17.13 percent said that they found Kashmir more attractive than before. 11.05 percent said that the region is more congestion and overcrowding than before. 8.84 percent considered Kashmir turning unattractive while as 6.07 percent said that they saw the degraded environment as compared to their earlier visits. While as only 4.41 percent

128

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

repeat visitors felt that infrastructure is not as good as they observed in their previous visits. The main reasons for overcrowding, unattractiveness and degraded environment are the rapid growth of population, high flow of tourists and changes in the land use from natural to cultural landscape.

Table 3.10: Change Observed by the repeat Visitors Changes Observed No. of Tourists Percentage of Tourists More Attractive 31 17.13 Better Infrastructure Facilities 52 28.73 Degraded Environment 11 6.07 Over-crowded 20 11.05 Worse Infrastructure 8 04.41 Less Attractive 16 08.84 No Change 43 23.76 Total 181 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Changes Observed by the repeated Visitors

No Change More Attractive 23.76 17.13

Less Attractive Better 8.84 Infrastructure Facilities, Over-crowded 28.73 11.05 Worse Infrastructure 4.41 Degraded Environment 6.07

Figure 3.11

3.7.6 Tourists Actual Stay and Proposed Stay

Maulana Whenever Azad the tourists Library, travel Kashmir, Aligarh they are keen Muslim to stay and enjoyUniversity maximum days in the Valley but due to certain factors, tourists spend less time than they thought. Table 3.11 and figure 3.12 depicts that 4.80 percent of the sampled tourists proposed to stay in Kashmir for 2 days but due to the more attractiveness they extended their trip for 4 days. The proposed and actual days of stay were same for about 24.40 percent and 32.20

129

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

percent sampled tourists who completed their trip on time as 5 and 6 days respectively. While as the tourists whose proposed stay in was a week or more than one week, actually spend less time than they proposed due to factors like high inflation rates in hotels and transportation. It is also shown in the table that 18 percent and 20.60 percent sampled tourists want to stay for 7 days and more than 10 days in the Valley as they thought but later on they just spend 6 to 8 days and left the Valley because they spend 15 days money in just 6-8 days of the fact of inflation, security reasons etc. Some tourists have pointed out that even after each stop the security forces check the tourist vehicles and in that lot of precious time have been lost.

Table 3.11: Sampled Tourists Actual Stay and Proposed Stay of Visiting Kashmir Number of Percentage of Proposed Stay Actual Stay Tourists Tourists (No. of Days) (No. of Days) 24 04.80 2 4 122 24.40 5 5 161 32.20 6 6 90 18.00 7 6 103 20.60 10 and above 8 Sources: Based on the Field Survey, 2015

Sampled Tourists Proposed Stay and Actual Stay (In Days)

10 8 6 4

Number Days of Number 2 0 4.8 24.4 32.2 18 20.6 Percentage of Tourists Proposed Stay Actual Stay

Maulana Azad Library,Figure Aligarh 3.12 Muslim University

3.7.7 Reason for less than Actual Stay

It is fact that whenever tourists travel Kashmir, they are very much keen to stay and enjoy maximum days in the Valley. But there are several factors like high inflation

130

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

rates in hotels, exploitive nature of transport and security fear, that force them to leave the valley before completing their proposed stay. Table 3.12 and Figure 3.13 reveals that 55 percent sampled tourists mentioned that there were high inflation rates in hotels and other things, while as 20 percent sampled tourists said that they were having security apprehensions in their mind due to which they changed their mind to stay more time in Kashmir. Similarly, 18 percent sampled tourists responded that they reduced their trip because of exploitative nature of transport. Only 3 percent sampled tourists said that Kashmir is not as attractive as they thought before visiting. While as only 2 percent sampled tourists said that they had completed their official or business-related work on time due to which they had to move back. About 2 percent sampled tourists felt that there is less accommodation facility due to which they were feeling difficulties in their stay.

Table 3.12: Views of Sampled Tourists regarding less than Actual Stay S. No Indicators Percentage of Tourists 1. Inflation (high prices of hotels) and other things 55 2. Security Reason 13 3. Not attractive as thought 3 4. Exploitative nature of transport 25 5. Official or Business work completed on time 2 6. Less Accommodation Facility 2 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Factors Responsible For Less Than Actual Stay Less Official or Accommodation Business work Facility completed on time 2% 2% Exploitative nature of transport Inflation (high 25% prices of hotels) and other things Not attractive as 55% thought Security Reason 13% Maulana3% Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 3.13

131

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.7.8 Safety and Security

The personal safety and security is the prime factor that a tourist is concerned with. As Kashmir Valley has been infamous for being an unsafe and insecure region since the outbreak of the militancy, it was found necessary to know the perception of the tourists regarding the same. Respondents were asked to choose the appropriate option amongst a number of choices provided regarding the perception of safety and security before planning the trip and after visiting the area. It is interesting to find that the perception of the sampled tourists about the safety concerns before coming to the region were very different after they personally observed the situation (Table 3.13). The difference between the number of respondents choosing the options that they felt „unsafe before‟ and „unsafe after‟ their visit to the region is highest. About 20.80 percent sampled tourists mentioned that they felt unsafe before coming to the region and only 3.80 percent felt unsafe after visiting the region. 18.40 percent sampled tourists responded that they were in fear before their visit and only 6.40 percent respondents said that they had fear in minds after their visit. It is because of the presence of a large number of security forces in the region and even after each stop the security forces check the tourist vehicles which created a fear among them. About 8.60 percent sampled tourists mentioned that they were aware before their trip about the situation of Kashmir and said that it is all exaggerated by media but after visiting 12.80 percent respondents were in this opinion.

Table 3.13: Views of Surveyed Tourists about Safety and Security in Kashmir S. No Views Before Visit After Visit (In Percentage) (In Percentage) 1. Safe 44.20 74.60 2. Unsafe 20.80 03.80 3. Same as other places 13.00 02.40 4. Exaggerated by media 08.60 12.80 5. Fear in mind 18.40 06.40 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016 Maulana3.7.9 Level of Satisfaction Azad ofLibrary, Sampled Tourists Aligarh Muslim University The table 3.14 depicts the spot wise level of satisfaction and overall level of satisfaction of the sampled tourists under the various selected categories contacted during the whole survey at various destinations of Kashmir. It also displays the ranking of various tourist nodes in Kashmir according to the level of satisfaction of tourists. It is

132

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

revealed from the below table 3.14 that among the tourists interviewed during the survey at Srinagar, 72.19 percent were satisfied with their visit to Srinagar, while a small proportion of about 9.37 percent of the respondent tourists were unsatisfied with their trip to Srinagar. However a proportion of about 18.44 percent fall in the average category. The above analysis reveals that Srinagar is a very high rated tourist spot in terms of satisfaction level of the respondent tourists because the proportion of satisfied tourists is significantly high as compared to the unsatisfied tourists. Srinagar is the base point for all tourist destinations. It provides all facilities which tourist need during their visit. It is noticed from the table that among the tourists contacted during the survey at Pahalgam, 70.47 percent were satisfied of their visit to the Pahalgam while a proportion of about 11.65 percent of the respondent were unsatisfied. However, a proportion of about 17.88 percent fall in the average category. A huge amount of revenue is generated regularly at the spot in terms visiting pass from the tourists. It is also revealed from the below table that among the sampled tourists at Gulmarg, 62.30 percent surveyed tourists were satisfied of their visit, while a small proportion of about 15.33 percent of the respondent tourists were unsatisfied with their trip to Gulmarg. However a proportion of about 22.37 percent fall in the average category. At Sonmarg tourist destination, it was found that 54.01 percent of respondent tourists were satisfied with their trip to Sonmarg, while as 25.58 percent of surveyed tourists were unsatisfied with their visit. However, a proportion of 20.41 percent of the respondents falls in the average category. Sonmarg is the favorite destination among the adventure lovers mostly for foreign tourist who used it for adventure trip. The table 3.14 also shows that among the tourists contacted during the survey at Yusmarg, 39.32 percent were satisfied with their visit to the spot while a proportion of about 28.85 percent of the respondent were unsatisfied. However, a proportion of about 31.81 percent fall in the average category. Yusmarg is the newly emerging tourist destination which still needs the proper attention of the government for development of infrastructure facilities. From the table, it can also be seen that 28.03 percent of the surveyed tourists were satisfied with their trip to other destinations such as MaulanaAharbal, Manasbal, Azad Verinag Library, and Tangmarg Aligarh while as 36.38 Muslim percent were Universityunsatisfied and the remaining 35.59 percent respondents fall under the average category. The analysis of the survey carried out at these newly emerging spots reveals that they are less developed tourist destinations than Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sunmarg and Yusmarg as per the level of satisfaction of the tourists perceived under the various selected indicators. They need proper care and management from the government side for future development.

133

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

After working out the level of satisfaction of different tourist spots in Kashmir, the overall level of satisfaction of the tourists in the whole region has also been checked out. Among the 500 tourists surveyed at the above mentioned tourist spots, it was also revealed from table 3.14 that 54.39 percent were satisfied of their visit to Kashmir while a proportion of about 21.19 percent of the respondent tourists were unsatisfied with their visit. However, a proportion of about 24.41 percent fall in the average category. The whole survey points out the fact that the Kashmir has got an immense tourism potential but there is immediate need of taking certain steps in order to overthrow certain kind of problems faced by the tourists in the region. The table 3.14 also shows the ranking of various tourist nodes in Kashmir according to the level of satisfaction of the surveyed tourists at each spot. It is revealed from the below table that Srinagar is at first rank tourist spot as the proportion of satisfied tourists (72.19 percent) is significantly high as compared to the other tourist destinations selected for the survey in the region. A proportion of about 70.47 percent of the respondent tourists contacted during the survey at Pahalgam were satisfied with their visit to the said spot and subsequently, it became the 2nd order tourist spot. Gulmarg got the third rank according to the satisfaction level of the respondents which got 62.30 satisfaction level from the respondents. However, the proportion of satisfied tourists at Sonmarg, Yusmarg and other spots were 54.01 percent, 39.32 percent and 28.03 percent and thus, they got the 3rd rank, 4th rank and 5th rank tourist spots respectively.

Table 3.14: Level of satisfaction of Sampled Tourists N=500 Tourist Level of satisfaction in percentage Spot Very Satisfied Average Unsatisfied Very Rank satisfied unsatisfied Srinagar 38.44 33.75 18.44 06.56 02.81 1 Phalgam 43.05 27.42 17.88 07.62 04.03 2 Gulmarg 32.00 30.30 22.37 10.32 05.01 3 Songmarg 25.01 29.00 20.41 17.46 08.12 4 Yusmarg 12.42 26.92 31.81 18.23 10.62 5 MaulanaOthers Azad09.32 Library,18.71 35.59 Aligarh 23.27 Muslim13.11 University6 Total 26.71 27.68 24.41 13.91 7.28 100.00 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

134

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.8: Assessment of Tourist’s Perception on Various Attributes of Tourism Development in Kashmir.

This section deals with the quantitative analysis of various socio-cultural and environmental attributes of tourism development in Kashmir. The study attempts to investigate and analyze the attributes that satisfy the tourists who visited Kashmir. It also examines to identify the tourism potentials in terms of the regional resource base.

3.8.1 Social Attributes of Tourism Development

Social attributes play an important role in the development of the tourism industry in a region. Although both social as well as the environmental attributes are inter-reliant on each other. Social attributes include place of living, safety and security, literacy, employment, transportation and accessibility, accommodation facility, sanitation condition, tourist services and more others. (Affeld, D.1975). Table 3.15 depicts the descriptive statistics of various social attributes. Mean and standard deviation of each statement have been shown in this table.

Table 3.15: Tourists Perception on Various Social Attributes of Tourism Development (In Percentage). S. No Social Attributes N Mean Standard Deviation 1 Accommodation 500 3.72 1.05 2 Sanitation Facility 500 3.01 1.15 3 Food/Cuisine 500 4.28 0.69 4 Transport/Accessibility 500 3.01 0.95 5 Hospitality 500 4.59 0.65 6 Tourist service 500 3.44 1.18 7 Safety/Security 500 3.43 1.11 8 Shopping Places 500 3.21 1.17 9 Communication Service 500 2.49 1.04 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Maulana After Azad Analysis from Library, the table 3.15 Aligarh, it has been observed Muslim that two variables University such as “Food/Cuisine” and “Hospitality” are the most important social attributes that have the highest mean of 4.28 and 4.59 respectively. Hence these two attributes shows a very strong level of agreement by the tourists in terms of their ability to satisfy them. Thus it shows that these two variables have an important role in the tourism development in the

135

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

region. While as the variables like “Accommodation, Tourist service, Safety/Security and Shopping Places” have mean value between 3.41 to 4.20, therefore these attributes shows the high level of agreement by the tourists in terms of their role in attracting tourists to Kashmir. Regarding the safety and security, it was found that tourist felt safe in Kashmir and mentioned that it is only media who has created fear among the tourists. The attributes like “Sanitation Facility” and “Transportation Service” both got average mean score 3.01 which shows that these tourism products are also important for attracting tourists but are not developed properly, thus needs more care and management for future tourism development in the region. While as the indicator “Communication Service” got mean value 2.49 which shows a low agreement of tourists in terms of its ability to satisfy them. So it shows that tourists are not happy with the availability of communication service in the region. Thus, there is proper need to improve the communication service in Kashmir to meet the demands of tourists.

3.8.2 Cultural Attributes of Tourism Development in the Kashmir

According to the definition adopted by UNESCO, “Culture is a complex of specific spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or social group, which includes along with art and literature also a common way of life, lifestyle, value systems, traditions and beliefs.” (Dvorsky, 2006). Tourists are inclined to accept and believe what their culture tells them regardless of objective validity and to bloc or ignore anything that is contrary to their culture or in conflict with faith. (Gucik et.al, 2011). Accordingly, it is appropriate if the tourist destinations adapt to the cultural and social fabrics of fundamental values resulting from family traditions, habits, customs and traditions. From this perspective, cultural tourism is a form of tourism focusing just on learning about the history, culture, traditions and customs of own country or foreign countries. Therefore the development of tourism in any region can be directly or indirectly associated with the use of cultural and historical potential. So far the Kashmir Valley is concerned; it is not only known for its serenity and beauty but also because of its wonderful culture which has always played an important role in earning accolades for Maulanait from across the Azad world. Be Library,it literature, lifest Aligarhyle, arts, crafts, Muslimheritage, language, University religion, fairs and festivals, music and dance, Kashmir is an outstanding tourist destination. Table 3.16 depicts the perception of sampled tourists regarding various cultural attributes of tourism development in Kashmir.

136

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 3.16: Tourists Perception on Various Cultural Attributes of Tourism Development (In Percentage) S. No Cultural Attributes N Mean Standard Deviation 1 Festivals/Events 500 3.63 1.17 2 Entertainment 500 2.34 0.86 3 Archaeological Monuments 500 2.38 0.94 4 Religious places 500 4.01 0.98 5 Art and Craft 500 4.29 0.69 6 Language and Dress 500 3.50 1.14 7 Adventure Sports 500 3.39 1.12 8 Historical sites 500 4.03 1.16 9 Folklore 500 3.45 1.18 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Table 3.16 shows that the attribute like “Art and Craft” has a very high level of agreement by the sampled tourists with mean score 4.29. This shows that the art and craft are highly developed in the region which has always earned name and fame for their beauty and good quality. The variables which falls under the category of high level of satisfaction responded by sampled tourists in terms of their availability and potentiality are “Historical sites” (4.03), “Religious places” (4.01), “Festivals/Events” (3.63), “Language and Dress” (3.50) and “Folklore” (3.45). This shows that these attributes have also have a significant role in the growth and development of tourism in the region. While as the variable “Adventure Sports” with mean score 3.39 falls under the average category. Although, Kashmir has high adventure sports potential but it is not properly developed and managed, thus it needs further improvement and development to meet the needs and wants of the tourists. The attributes which could not satisfy the tourists and falls under the category of low satisfaction level are “Archaeological Monuments” and “Entertainment” with mean score of 2.38 and 2.34 respectively. Although, Kashmir has a huge potential for archaeological and historical monuments but due to the mismanagement and Maulanacarelessness Azad of authority Library, these sites are Aligarh vanishing day byMuslim day and even University some sites are completely vanished of which the only records are available now. There has been no effort from the government side to preserve the archaeological heritage of the border areas of Kupwara, Uri and Gurez valley, which are full of archaeological treasure. Besides this, the absence of cinema halls in the region since the turmoil period and also functioning of few clubs and festivals also could not meet the demand of the tourists. 137

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

3.8.3 Environmental Parameters of Tourism Development in the Kashmir

Tourism development of any region is closely linked with environmental conditions of that area. It is the environment which is always considered as the core feature of a tourist destination (Pilgrim, 1980). For most of the tourists, the quality of the environment is the main reason for the holiday vacations and as a result, it is critical for the tourist destinations to have a quality environment that includes unspoiled physical and cultural landscapes, pleasant climate, cleanliness, etc (Holden 2000). Therefore, tourist satisfaction depends upon the overall quality of environmental attributes at the destination and hence the quality of these attributes should either exceed or at least meet the expectations of the tourists (Pizam, 1978). Table 3.17 depicts the perception of sampled tourists regarding various environmental attributes of tourism development in Kashmir.

Table 3.17: Tourists Observation Regarding Various Environmental Attributes of Tourism Development (In Percentage). S. No Environmental Attributes N Mean Standard Deviation 1 Water Bodies 500 4.03 1.16 2 Forests 500 3.85 1.20 3 Wildlife 500 3.09 1.24 4 Natural Landscape 500 4.59 0.65 5 Climate 500 4.48 0.76 Sources: Based on the Field Study, 2015-2016

Table 3.17, shows that two variables “Natural Landscape” and “Climate” have the highest mean of 4.59 and 4.48 respectively. Hence these two attributes shows a very high level of agreement by the tourists in terms of their ability to satisfy them. Thus it shows that these two variables have an important role in the tourism development in the region. The variables like “Water Bodies” and “Forests” with mean score of 4.03 and 3.85 shows high level of agreement of tourists in terms of their role in the tourist's attraction and satisfaction. While as the attribute like “Wildlife” having mean score 3.09 shows an average level of agreement from the sampled tourists. It has also been observed that MaulanaNatural Landscape Azad, Climate, Library, Water bodies andAligarh Forests are Muslim in abundance, whichUniversity has a significant role in the tourism development in the region. While as the only parameter which falls in the category of being the unsatisfactory one is the wildlife which needs proper management by the concerned authority.

138

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

References

Affeld, D. (1975). Social Aspects of the Development of Tourism; In Planning and Development of the Tourist Industry in the ECE Region. United Nations, New York, USA, 109-115.

Bakshi, S. R. (1997). Kashmir: Tourism, Monuments and Folklore. Sarup and Sons, New Delhi, 120.

Bhat, R. A. (2014). Impact of Tourism on the Socio-economic Development in Kashmir, An Unpublished M.A, Dissertation, Department of Geography, A.M.U, Aligarh, 26-34

Bhat, Z. A. (2013). Tourism Industry and Pilgrimage Tourism in J&K, Prospects and Challenges, International Monthly Refereed Journal of Research In Management and Technology, 2, 105-106

Dewan, P. (2004). Kashmir. Manhas Publication, New Delhi, 521,532

Santek Consultants Private Limited (2003). Final Report of 20 years of perspective plan for sustainable development of tourism in J&K. prepared for ministry of tourism, Government of India, New Delhi, 380-392

Holden, A (2000). Environment and Tourism, Introduction to environment series. Routledge, London.

Hussain, M, et; al. (1985). Geography of J&K. Ariana Publishing House, New Delhi,184.

Hussain, M. (1988). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajesh Publications, New Delhi,

157-161.

Hussain, M. (1998). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajesh Publications, New Delhi, 8-9

Digest of Forest Statistics, (2011). J&K Forest Department. Retrieved from http:/ /jkforest.gov.in /orders/Digest_of_Forest_Statistics_J_K_Forest_Dept.pdf

MaulanaKak, R.C. (2002). Azad Ancient Library, Monuments of Kashmir,Aligarh Utpal Publications,Muslim Delhi, University 22-23

Khan, A. R (2007). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulshan books, Residency Road, Srinagar, 143-144

139

Chapter-III Determinants of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Khan, R. (2007). Travels to Paradise on Earth: Kashmir. Star Publications, Srinagar, Kashmir, 58-59.

Khan, S.A, et; al, (2012). Studies on bird diversity of Overa Aru Wildlife Sanctuary of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 4(13), 3228–3232

Mir, A. H (2008). Impact of Tourism on the Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir, An Unpublished M.Phil Thesis, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University.

Mir, A. H, and Ahmed, A (2015). Prospects of Ecotourism in Bangus Valley, International Journal of Scientific Research and Development, 3(1), 776-777

Mir, M. S (2013). Geographical Analysis of Tourism in Kashmir Region, An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Delhi, 55-56.

Naik, A. B (2008). Tourism Potential in Ecological Zones and Future Prospects of Tourism in Kashmir. An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, 120.

Pizam, A. (1978). Tourism's Impact: The Social Costs to the Destination Community as Perceived by its Residents. Journal of Travel Research, 16(4), 55-58.

Qureshi. A, et;al, (2014). Butterflies of Dachigam National Park, Journal of Threatened Taxa, 6(1), 5389-5392.

Raina, A. N. (2002). Geography of J&K. Radha Krishan Anand & Company, Pacca Danga, Jammu, 37.

Rehman, S. A. (2005). The Beautiful India: Jammu and Kashmir. Reference Press, New Delhi, 472.

Shewakramani, P. (2011). The Ultimate Honeymoon Calender. Retrieved from www.cntr raveller.in/content/ultimate-honeymoon-calendar, on April 2, 2015,

Sundararaman. S. (2011). Impact of Terrorism on Kashmir Valley Tourism, An Maulana Unpublished Azad P.hd Thesis,Library, Pondicherry Aligarh University, 61 Muslim University Victor T. C. Middleton, (1998). Sustainable Tourism: A Marketing Perspective, ssButterworth- Heinemann.

140

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

It is quite evident that tourism industry plays a significant role in the overall development throughout the globe. With it's backward and forward linkages with other sectors of the economy like transport, telecommunication and handicrafts etc., tourism has the potential to not only prove as the economic driver but also as an effective tool for poverty alleviation and ensuring growth with equity. In Kashmir, tourism is considered as the right vehicle for developing the economy of the region. Being a labour intensive industry; it employs a large number of people, both skilled and unskilled. It generates foreign exchange earnings and promotes cultural activities as well as traditional handicraft sector of Kashmir (Bhat, 2013). However, there are various places of tourist attraction in the region being visited both by foreign as well as domestic tourists. But the flow of tourists has not remained same or kept on increasing continuously and a marked pattern of negative growth in the tourist flow to Kashmir has been seen during the nineties, because of certain peculiar reasons especially insurgency in the region, which have drastically impacted on the tourism industry in the region. Now the Government has started paying attention towards the development of tourism infrastructure and people have started engaging themselves in the tourism-related activities as receptionists, hotel managers, shikara and houseboat owners, tour guides, photographers, salesmanship and tour operators etc (Bhat, 2013).

The present study has been attempted to examine and assess the various problems that hindered the growth of tourism industry in Kashmir. The study also highlights that how political instability and militancy has affected the tourist influx which in turn affects the foreign exchange earnings of the study region. Besides this, it also shows the various opportunities of tourism which if utilized and managed properly will not only increase the growth of tourism in the region but also benefit economically to the people who are engaged with the tourism business.

4.1 Problems of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

The foregoing study of the growth and development of tourism in Kashmir shows Maulanathat although Azad this industry Library, has registered anAligarh all-round significant Muslim development University in Kashmir However, after the birth of militancy in the region in 1989, this sector has not flourished as expected. Most of the potential for its growth has not yet been exploited and much more is left to be desired. Thus the limited and rather unsatisfactory growth of tourism industry in Kashmir is mostly because of conflicting environment prevailing in the region. Besides, it there are also various other factors which have limited the growth of

141

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

tourism in the region (Thakur, 2004). The important factors, which have restricted the growth of tourism in Kashmir, are mentioned below:

4.1.1 Militancy in the region

Militancy is one of the major problems which has become the stumbling block in the course of tourism development of Kashmir. It hampered all the development work in the region. Strikes, extortion, kidnapping, killing and curfews have become the order of the day. The foreign and the domestic tourists consider it risky to visit Kashmir, in view of the prevailing law and order situation. They have a general perception that Kashmir is always plagued by trouble and stress. Militancy in the region has not only destroyed the tourism industry of Kashmir but also laid a havoc impact on other sectors associated with the tourism business. Hundreds of hoteliers and houseboat owners and thousands of tradesmen at the different tourist destinations left their jobs as the tourism business freaked off. All the hotspots of tourism in Kashmir like Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam, Dal Lake, Mughal Gardens which once were receiving thousands of tourists, have now changed into ghost places. The charming and scenic beauty of these resorts is no more seen in a manner of the days of its glory (Bhat and Khan, 2014).

Due to the prevailing militancy in the region, various potential sites such as Bangus and Lolab valleys in Kupwara district, Gurez valley in Bandipora, Boiya in Baramulla and Tosa maidan in Budgam district etc remained untapped. These are most beautiful areas but the conflict environment has prevented the tourists to visit these areas because the tourist feels insecure to visit these spots. Due to the militancy, many of the tourist spots were totally or partially under the occupancy of security forces. Frisking environment kept the local excursionists away from visiting various tourist destinations especially far-flung ones. It is estimated that around 180 historical structures were gutted in ashes during the insurgency in the valley. In various violence-related incidents, many tourists also lost their lives (Shah, 2013). The impact of turmoil was so much that the western countries issued travel advisories for their citizens and advised them to avoid visit Kashmir. The Academic of Art Culture and Language, which was used to organize Maulanacultural Programmes Azad in the Library, Valley but under Aligarh the turmoil conditions Muslim it had University to cease its operation. Tourism which was main stay in the economy of Kashmir was deeply affected by various circumstances created out of the conflict environment. Tourism and its related sectors were battered causing not only the creation of a negative image of Kashmir but also the loss of livelihood to those dependent on it directly or indirectly.

142

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1 depicts two phases of reverse flow of domestic and foreign tourist from 1989 to 2015. In the first phase (1989-1996) the percent of domestic tourist decreased from 87.85 percent to 3.76 percent, while as the flow of foreign tourists increased 12.15 to 96.24 percent during the same period. In the second phase (1997-2015) the flow of foreign tourists decreased drastically from 56.46 percent to 3.12 while the domestic tourist flow increased from 43.54 to 96.8 percent.

Table 4.1: Year-wise Flow of Tourists to the Kashmir Valley (1980-2015)

Year Domestic Percent to Foreign Percent to Total Total Total Tourists 1980 548491 92.25 46026 7.75 594517 1981 598555 93.18 43745 6.82 642300 1982 560987 92.90 42851 7.10 603838 1983 398428 90.64 41101 9.36 439529 1984 192684 84.08 36458 15.92 229142 1985 465599 92.45 38015 7.55 503614 1986 536598 90.99 53118 9.01 589716 1987 664081 92.02 57537 7.98 721618 1988 662097 91.69 59938 8.31 722035 1989 490212 87.85 67762 12.15 557974 1990 6095 56.85 4627 43.15 10722 1991 1400 22.26 4887 77.74 6287 1992 1175 11.38 9149 88.62 10324 1993 450 5.31 8026 94.69 8476 1994 500 5.09 9314 94.91 9814 1995 322 3.77 8189 96.23 8520 1996 375 3.76 9592 96.24 9967 1997 7027 43.54 9111 56.46 16138 1998 99636 90.67 10247 9.33 109883 1999 200162 92.11 17130 7.89 217292 2000 104337 93.23 7575 6.77 111912 2001 6673 91.92 5859 8.08 72591 2002 24670 90.18 2686 9.82 27356 2003 182205 95.32 8959 4.68 191164 2004 358095 95.05 18634 4.95 376729 2005 585702 96.74 19680 3.26 605382 2006 412879 95.37 20009 4.63 432888 2007 417264 94.44 24576 5.56 441840 2008 551041 96.23 21588 3.77 572629 2009 577348 96.02 23904 3.98 601252 Maulana2010 Azad710504 Library,96.47 Aligarh25984 Muslim3.53 University736488 2011 1282360 97.56 32110 2.44 1314470 2012 1274674 97.17 37166 2.83 1311840 2013 1142865 97.51 29143 2.49 1172008 2014 1140446 97.67 27172 2.33 1167618 2015 898861 96.88 28954 3.12 927815 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Srinagar, J&K 2016.

143

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

The apparent reason behind the decrease in the foreign tourist arrivals during the second phase is due to the greater awareness among the people regarding day to day happenings in the valley which creates fear in the minds of people outside the country. While the rise in the domestic tourist flow during this phase is attributed to the boom of the Indian economy and resulting economic prosperity of the people.

Percent Share of Domestic and Foreign Tourists in Kashmir Valley (1980-2015) 120

100

40 Percent Share Percent 20

Year Domestic % age Foreign % age

Figure 4.1

Before the insurgency, Kashmir recorded an overwhelming number of national as well as international tourists, but the tourism sector received a serious jolt with the out broke of militancy in the year 1989. Table and figure 4.1 revealed that the number of domestic and foreign tourists coming to Kashmir Valley kept on increasing up to 1989. In the year 1980, about 5.94 lakh tourists including both domestic and foreign tourists visited the Kashmir Valley. Out of which, domestic tourists accounts about 5.48 lakh (92.25 percent) of the total while as the international tourists were 46 thousand (7.75 percent) of the total tourists visiting Kashmir in the year 1980. From 1980 to 1989, there Maulanawere few years i.e.Azad 1981, 1982, Library, 1987 and 1988 Aligarh where the total Muslim number of tourists University coming to Kashmir Valley crossed 6 lakh. In the year 1981 near about 6.42 lakh tourists visited Kashmir Valley, which includes 5.98 lakh of domestic and 43.74 thousand foreign tourists respectively. The domestic tourists formed 93.18 percent of the total while the foreign tourists constituted 6.82 percent of the total tourist flow to Kashmir Valley in the

144

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

year 1981. During 1982, the total figures of tourists visiting Kashmir Valley were 6.03 lakh. But in 1983 and 1984, there was a decrease in the tourist arrivals to Kashmir Valley and near about 4.39 and 2.29 lakh tourists were registered which shows a negative growth rate. The main reason behind the decrease of tourist arrival to Kashmir during these years was political instability and insurgency in the state of Punjab which is the neighbouring state to Jammu and Kashmir. The mass demonstrations that broke out in Punjab largely affected the tourism industry of Kashmir valley because Punjab was the only route to Kashmir at that time. In the year 1985, the tourist arrival again increased to 5.03 lakh, which further rose up to 5.8 lakh in 1986.

The years 1987 and 1988 came up as the celebrated years for the tourism industry of Kashmir, because in these two years the number of tourist flow to Kashmir Valley crossed 7 lakh, the exact figures being 7.21 lakh and 7.22 lakh respectively. In 1987 about 7.21 lakh tourists visited Kashmir, out of which 6.64 lakh were domestic tourists which formed 92.02 percent of the total tourist flow while the number of foreign tourists being 57.53 thousand constituting only 7.98 percent of the total tourist flows. In 1988 total of 7.22 lakh tourists were registered in Kashmir in which 6.62 lakh and 59.93 thousand were of the domestic and foreign tourists respectively and their respective percentages share being 91.69 and 8.31. However, this figure came down to 5.57 lakh in 1989 and in the year 1990, it substantially declined to 10.72 thousand and continued to remain below 10 thousand till the year 1996 except in 1992 when the number of tourists visiting Kashmir was 10.32 thousand. During the nineties, the figure of tourist arrival to Kashmir remains almost stand still thereby giving a serious damage to the tourism industry of Kashmir, which in turn affected the economy and social life. The tourist influx declined considerably up to 2002 during which Kashmir suffered heavily in this sector due to the insurgency. The tourists were not interested to take the risk and visit the Kashmir Valley. This period was also known as “Dark Age” in the tourism sector of Kashmir Valley. It is estimated that the state had lost 27 million tourists from 1989 to 2002 leading to a revenue loss of $ 3.6 billion.

Maulana After Azad 2002, there Library, was a gradual improvement Aligarh in the Muslim security scenario University due to which the influx of tourists has registered an improvement to some extent. The flow of tourists started increasing steadily from 27 thousand in 2002 to 1.91 lakh in 2003. It was the year 2004 when Jammu and Kashmir State was selected for national tourism award for its excellent performance in the tourism in 2003. This was the first time that state of Jammu

145

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

and Kashmir has received the prestigious prize. It came in the wake of the restoration of the tourism sector in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which has been badly affected by one and half decade old insurgency and political turmoil. In 2004 near about 3.76 lakh tourists came to Kashmir and enjoyed the beauty of nature. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the influx of tourists was higher than previous years and 6.03, 4.32 and 4.41 lakhs respectively. But after 2007 there was again a serious jolt to the tourism sector of Kashmir because in 2008, 2010 and 2012 the whole Kashmir was under heavy violence and Valley remained shut down and under curfew mostly during peak tourist seasons which hindered the tourists to visit the Kashmir. The figures of tourist arrivals in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were 4.32, 4.41, 6.01 and 5.72 lakh. Similarly, in 2010, about 7.36 lakh visited Kashmir. It was the year 2011 which surpasses all the previous years in terms of tourist arrivals and 13.14 lakh tourists were registered in Kashmir but further, there was a slightly decreased in the tourist arrival to 13.11 lakh in 2012. In 2013 near about 11.72 lakh tourists were recorded and this figure was decreased up to 11.67 lakh in 2014 and finally reached up to 9.27 lakh in 2015.

4.1.1.1 Substantial decrease in Foreign Exchange Earnings

It is seen that tourism has now emerged as an important contributor to the foreign exchange earnings at an international scale. In the state of J&K, the foreign exchange earnings from the tourism has increased continuously up to 1989 as shown in table 4.2. The foreign exchange earnings has increased from 23.81 crores in 1987 to 30.56 crores in 1989 but in 1989 when the militancy gained momentum and insurgency was at its peak in the valley, there was a strong havoc to the tourism sector resulting in the decrease in the number of domestic as well as foreign tourists, which in turn affected foreign exchange of Kashmir. The number of tourists visiting the valley per year had gone down from around 7 lakh in the pre-militancy days to few thousands in the following years (Shah, 2013). Table 4.2 depicts that the foreign exchange earnings has continuously increased up to 1989 but after this period, there was a sharp decrease in foreign exchange earnings due to which the Kashmir economy suffered a lot. The foreign exchange earnings has drastically Maulanadeclined from 30.56Azad crores Library, in 1989 to just 2.29Aligarh crores in 1990, Muslim thus there wasUniversity a sharp decrease of 28 crores in 1990. This was the peak and birth period of conflict in Kashmir which causes a serious damage to tourism sector which in turn affected the foreign exchange earnings of Kashmir. During the nineties, the figure of foreign exchange almost came down to a standstill thereby giving the economy of Kashmir a great jolt.

146

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

Table 4.2: Year-wise Growth rate of Foreign Exchange Earnings through Tourism Year Earnings in Crores Year Earnings in Crores 1987 23.81 1994 05.66 1988 26.96 1995 05.21 1989 30. 56 1996 4.32 1990 02.29 1997 4.10 1991 05.05 1998 7.68 1992 02.42 1999 12.84 1993 04.66 2000 5.68 Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, J&K

Year-wise Growth rate of Foreign Exchange Earnings through Tourism (1987-2000)

30 25 20 15 InCrores 10 5 0 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Years Earnings in Crores

Figure 4.2

4.1.2 Problems of Tourism Infrastructure

To attract tourists, there must be the dissemination of information, good infrastructural facilities like hotels and guest houses, affordable and reliable communication network, clean and hygienic food and accommodation, availability of Maulanawater sports Azadequipment etc.Library, However, the Aligarh tourist infrastructure Muslim in Kashmir University Valley is poor which impedes the expansion of tourism in two ways. First, the lack of various types of infrastructure such as roads provides an effective chunk to tourist development. Second, the absence of other types of infrastructure does not prevent tourism but makes achieving and maintaining service values more complex and expensive. Thus, the failure to provide

147

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

sufficient bulk services to the tourist segment is alarming. In Kashmir Valley, most of the places of tourist sites are not by the side of the national highways and the approach links connecting different tourist spots are in bad condition. This has proved a great problem in the path of tourism development in the area and is a strong discouraging factor, which works against a good inflow of the tourists (Chutia, 2015).

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has tried hard to invest in building the basic infrastructure such as roads, railways, highways, electric power plants, water supplies, and other associated facilities. With the bear of central financial assistance, some necessary physical infrastructure has been made but this is still at a very low level. For example, total number hotels in Kashmir Valley are 386, restaurants-104, paying guest houses-75, registered guest houses-406, houseboats-910 and shikaras-4656, which is very insufficient so for as the tourist flow both domestic as well as foreign especially in peak seasons is concerned (Dar, 2014). The road length has improved from 18,368 km in 2007-08 to 26,700 km (surfaced-23,600 km and unsurfaced-3100 km) in 2013-14. However, 10,20, 786 public and personal vehicles use to ply over this much of road length, the situation of which is further irritated with the loopholes and bottlenecks for the most part of the year. Similar is the case with the 119 km only rail route of Kashmir from Qazigund to Baramulla. Only 2 trains run over it that too after 4-5 hours of break. Aviation sector which has created havoc for Kashmir Valley tourism is valuable to be mentioned here. The air tickets to Kashmir from New Delhi or any other place become much costly than the tickets from Delhi to foreign countries in the peak tourist season. The insufficient airline capacity, mostly during the peak tourist season, delays in getting the ticket bookings, flight cancellations etc also are some of the hindrances in the way of tourism development (Economic Survey, 2012-2013). So far the telecommunication service in the region is concerned; there is poor telecommunication facility in the region in terms of limited internet accessibility. This often creates a sense of isolation amongst the tourist as they feel being deprived or cut off from their near and dear ones. It may at times lead to homesickness and force them to leave their tour without completing it. This Maulanais due to the politicalAzad ins tabilityLibrary, that Kashmir Aligarh Valley often Muslim remains under University tense and curfew. It has become routine now in the Valley that internet remains cut off and affected during any violence related incident as a precautionary measure by the government.

148

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

4.1.3 Lack of Proper Management and Utilization of Tourist Spots

Tourist spots especially the world famed Dal Lake are not being managed appropriately because of political and individual reasons, which have rendered it devoid of its shine. Same is the case with the leading freshwater lake Wular. It has turned into a cold-hearted water body with undefined shorelines full of huge loads of mud and willow trees. It has been left relatively unattended and underdeveloped. The authorities are so careless towards the management of these water bodies that these have changed into marshy lands giving appalling smell and acting as the epicentres of different diseases which has not only affected the health and hygienic conditions of the local people but has also given an obstruction to the Kashmir Tourism (Ganie and Mir, 2013).

Moreover, the somehow maintained parks and gardens like Achabal garden, Kokernag garden, and Verinag etc, there is a lack in the proper facilities of hotels, toilets and stalls etc which spoils the pleasure of tourists there. Besides, a free inflow of people to tourist places in the surrounding area are so affected by such conditions that they may decide to stay away from them the next time. The waste kept lying for long time as a result of any developmental activity, garbage dumps, kitchen sewerage unless treated, landfills and fuel spills divert the tourists. How sensitive is the tourist industry to all the adverse changes in the environment if it is not properly conserved are a moot question. Thus, Kashmir Valley, despite being the heart of tourism potential is ridden with countless problems that if attended and worked upon can regain its glory and splendour (Dar, 2014).

4.1.4. Lack of Proper Marketing of Tourism Products

Marketing is a significant aspect of the tourism industry which is linked with the supply of tourism products to meet the demand of tourists. Tourism marketing includes identification of the target markets, generating awareness of destinations and tourist sites, disseminating information to the target customers and promoting tourism demand through various means, so that tourism marketing is not only concerned with reaching out to the Maulanacustomers butAzad also with Library, information contentAligarh and its Muslim dissemination inUniversity an efficient, effective and timely manner. The aggressive marketing efforts are required to translate awareness into tourist arrivals. The Tourism Department in Kashmir has unable to arranged aggressive marketing network to sell tourism products to tourists. The lack of publicity at national and international level is the cause of limitation to explore rich

149

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

tourism potential of the Kashmir. Though the Tourism Development Corporation and Directorate of Tourism have participated a number of national and international tourism fairs and festivals to explore the rich tourism resources of the state but still the efforts did not yield good performance.

4.1.5 Seasonality of Tourism

Tourism business in Kashmir is largely a seasonal activity which is mostly remaining confined only up to six months of summer season. This creates major obstacles in the growth of tourism business. During the summer season, there remains a heavy flow of tourists, because in this season the climatic conditions in Kashmir Valley always remain pleasant as compared to the other states of the country where the harsh climatic conditions are found. So the people from other states and countries move to the Kashmir Valley and enjoy the pleasant summer. While as during the winter season, the tourist flow remains low due to the prolonged unpleasant weather characterized by long and severe winter crimpling the tourist industry. During this season, only adventurous tourism is developed and mostly the tourists visit Kashmir who are interested in winter sports like, mountaineering, hiking, rafting, snow scatting, and other winter games. Thus, the cold weather of Kashmir during winter season creates a lot of problems for tourists to visit Kashmir. Many tourists, who are not used to such types of climatic conditions, find their stay very tough. Added to this, the public transport system also remains affected due to heavy snowfall which makes travel from one destination to another very tough. Therefore this seasonal character of tourism also causes seasonal unemployment in winters and shortage of workers during the peak summer season. The hotels and tourist accommodations remain underutilized during the lean season which is a share of the resource. The seasonality of tourism also forces the labourers to out-migrate in search of jobs which put great stress on the migrants from the state (Ahmad, 2013).

4.1.6 Lack of Proper Healthcare facilities at Tourist Destinations

Proper health care facilities available at any tourist destination play an important Maulanarole in boosting Azadthe tourism Library, of that area. Tourists Aligarh prefer to goMuslim to the destinations, University where good health care facilities are available. However, in Kashmir, the standard of health services available at tourist destinations are not according to the tourist expectations. The elderly people and chronically ill people who visit various destinations for refreshment often find themselves in an awkward situation due to the absence of proper medical

150

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

facilities. Problems and difficulties faced by tourists at health care centers of various tourist destinations are ranging from the unavailability of medical facilities to staff shortage. The reasons behind this poor health services at these health care centers are limited government funding and lack of governmental interest in launching new healthcare projects (Itoo, 2017).

4.1.7 Lack of Financial Support for Entrepreneurs

Local entrepreneurs in major tourist destinations in Kashmir are not getting proper financial assistance from the government, bank and other financial institutions. Even government has not introduced any tourism-related financial scheme for the entrepreneurs. The micro-entrepreneur activities in tourism products and cultural activities are in unorganized form. The micro-entrepreneurs have been engaged in the selling of tourism products to tourist in different tourist destinations i.e. handloom products, handicraft items, cultural activities etc. Micro-entrepreneurs are still at the grassroots level. They need proper training and financial support to fulfill the demand of tourists in an innovative way. The state government has not made any provision of soft loan and tax relaxation to encourage local entrepreneurs to set up modern facilities and other logistics of tourism in the major tourist destination.

4.1.8 Lack of Trained Tourist Guides

The quality of tourist attraction depends largely on the quality of services provided. It is very difficult to satisfy the inquisitiveness of the tourists in the main tourist destinations. However, in Kashmir Valley, there is lack of well-trained tourist guides available at important places of tourist attraction, due to which the tourist could not get proper knowledge and information about the destinations, with the result the area is not explored fully by the tourists. The department of tourism initiated many programmes to train young tourist guides but still, the effort did not yield good results.

Besides this, the tourism industry in Kashmir is male-dominated. There is virtually no participation of women in the tourism business in the region. Women are still Maulananot well represented Azad inLibrary, training and Aligarh guidance programmes Muslim which provideUniversity trained personnel to the various sectors of the tourist industry. The main problem seems to be based on cultural and traditional values of the region (Darzi, 2016). Added to this, there is only one “Institute of Hotel Management” (IHM) in Kashmir, which is imparting training to the local residents and hence enhancing their skills, which match up with international

151

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

standards. There is a need to open more such institutions which will provide proper training to the young people engaged in tourism-related activities like guides, tour operators and chefs etc so that they may be better equipped in handling tourist inflow (Mir, 2014).

4.1.9 Lack of Proper Co-ordination

The tourism resources of Kashmir are properly taken care of by the concerned departments and agencies. The State Forest Department has identified the conservation of existing bio-diversities as a thrust area. Though the forest resources are the prime attractions of both domestic as well as foreign tourists. However, there is virtually no coordination between Department of Tourism and State Forest Department to develop tourism in the region. The tourism department has no proper information to guide tourists to visit national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Kashmir. Similarly, the Department of Archaeology has been handling the demand of tourists in historical and religious tourist sites. But the Department of Tourism and Archaeology Department has no effective cooperation for the upliftment of tourism in the area.

Besides these, there is no tangible and effective coordination between the twin major bodies of Kashmir tourism such as Directorate of Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation (TDC). Thus the lack of coordination and cooperation among various departments creates different problems while doing some development works in particular tourist destinations. Moreover, there is also lack of cooperation between public and private stakeholders in tourism development for the implementation of policies and monitoring their effective application.

4.1.10 Safety and Security

Safety and security is one of the most necessary elements for the development of tourism in a region. If tourists feel insecure in a tourist destination and have fear of killing, abduction or fear of losing precious possession, then how attractive the tourist spot is, people will not feel need to see the tourist spot. In Kashmir army, local police Maulanaalong with regiona Azadl administration Library, are engaged Aligarh to ensure the properMuslim safety and University security to the tourists but it is not enough and satisfactory and needs much more for the satisfaction of tourists. Besides this, local people should also be encouraged to ensure the safety and security of tourists (Afroz and Hasanuzzaman, 2012).

152

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

4.1.11 Lack of Perspective Plans and Sustainability in Tourism

Unplanned and uncontrolled growth of tourism sector may destroy the base of tourism of an area. However, most of the tourist destinations in Kashmir are facing various problems due to poor planning and management. A proper planning and projection must include environmental impact assessments, instruments of spatial and land use planning, carrying capacity analysis, instruments of architectural controls, strategy for preparing the local community to safeguard its cultural identity and awareness programme for local participation and local commitment to the project. But still, the state tourism department has no perspective plans to develop the tourism sector of Kashmir.

4.2 Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

Despite above-mentioned problems, the prospects of the tourism industry in Kashmir is very bright. In Kashmir, tourism is the second largest employer after agriculture sector which has a direct and indirect impact on the economic, social and cultural life of the people in the region. This industry has multiple benefits to the state in terms of foreign exchange earnings, employment generation, increase the standard of living, regional development etc. There are many popular tourist destinations in Kashmir which attract tourists from India and abroad. However, the state government has taken many initiatives to increase the benefits of tourism to the economy of the region (Bhat, 2013). If the government continues to provide incentives to tourism sector than in coming years tourism industry will become the largest, employment generating industry in Kashmir. There are enough prospects for growth and development of tourism in Kashmir as there are many potential avenues which have remained untapped and unexplored (Mir, 2014). Besides this, the government can develop infrastructural facilities for promoting adventure tourism, rural tourism, eco- friendly nature tourism etc.

Despite all the efforts, the tourism industry in Kashmir is not working to its fullest potential. This means that if efforts are made by the Directorate of Tourism and Tourism MaulanaDevelopment Azad Corporation Library, to promote tourism, Aligarh by means Muslim of adopting betterUniversity marketing strategy, providing services at a cheaper and reasonable rates compared to that being provided by the other states and countries, then definitely the inflows of tourists especially foreign tourists will go up from the present level (Ahmed, 2013). The main prospects of tourism in Kashmir Valley can be elaborated as:

153

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

4.2.1 Adventure Tourism

Kashmir has been a place of attraction to the tourists from the very beginning because of its immense tourism potential. Because of various tourism products available within the region, it can provide many adventure activities to the tourists to explore the vast terrains of the exotic Himalayan mountain ranges. Apart from natural beauty, the unique landscape of Kashmir also encourages one to find out one’s inherent sporting caliber. It has a compelling attraction for adventure sports lovers throughout the world. Some of the main adventure sports activities that are undertaken by the adventure sports lovers in Kashmir are Fishing, Golf, Mountaineering, Skiing, Trekking, River Rafting, Paragliding in Kashmir, Aero Sports, Camping, etc.

4.2.1.1 Trekking

Trekking as a part of adventure tourism has grown recently in Kashmir. Many tourists are coming in order to go trekking in various rugged mountains present in the region. This adventure activity is now considered as one of the most important elements for tourist attraction. Recently some trekking routes have been opened from Doodpathri to Yousmarg and from Dangwathi to Aharbal in addition to the already existing ones from sonmarg to Narang and Gurez. All the trekking routes for visitors are open in the summer season but some trekking routes are open in winter. The Department of Tourism Kashmir has made available trekking equipments for trekkers and they can hire the them at fixed rates. Some of the well known and famous routes for trekking in Kashmir valley are Amarnath Yatra, Gulmarg, Bangus, Aharbal, Sonmarg etc.

4.2.1.2 River Rafting

Water rafting in Kashmir is a relative newcomer in the sphere of adventure tourism. This has been increasing due to the presence of a number of rivers, waterfalls, and rapids. These waterways not only provide delight to the eyes but also offers abundant opportunities for adventure sports like river water rafting, boating and swimming to the Maulanavisitors. These aquaticAzad adventure Library, activities haveAligarh a compelling Muslim attraction for domesticUniversity as well as international tourists throughout the world. The peak season for river rafting in Kashmir starts from August to September. The two rivers, Indus and Lidder, are essentially mountain streams and are quite popular from the river rafting point of view. The Lidder river in Pahalgam region is an excellent place for adventure white water

154

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

rafting and it has gained immense popularity among tourists. Apart from the rivers Lidder and Indus, Dal lake, Nageen Lake and Manasbal Lake are also excellent places for water sports like water skiing, boating and swimming.

4.2.1.3 Skiing

Skiing in Kashmir as a kind of adventure tourism has become popular in the last decade. The Valley is blessed with some of the lush green meadows that remained under snow during winter and provides an opportunity to excellent skiing during the winter season. The Gulmarg which is popularly called as meadow of flowers turns into a meadow of romance in winter. It has some of the best Ski slopes in the world which are perfect for skiing lovers. It is the only ski-resort in the lofty Himalayas where one can ski with a magnificent sight of the Karakorams. Apart from Gulmarg there also other areas such as Sonamarg, Pahalgam etc that are also offering winter sports opportunities to tourists. Winter sports in Kashmir usually start from the middle of December and lasts till the end of March

4.2.1.4 Mountaineering

The topography of Kashmir Valley offers exciting opportunities of mountaineering. High peaks of the Himalayas which are covered with snow cover attract thousands of adventure sports lovers to the Kashmir. There are unlimited choices of mountaineering in the region because of the presence of mighty ranges of the Himalayas. The Pir Panjal, Karakoram and Zanskar mountain ranges are the mountaineer’s delight. Those who have to go for mountaineering in the high snow clad mountains of Kashmir Valley; they have need to take authorization from the Government of India through the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). The various places in Kashmir where tourists can go for mountain climbing such as Sonmarg, Pahalgam, Aparwath, Dodhpathri etc.

4.2.1.5 Golfing

Golfing is one of the most important determinants for tourist attraction. Kashmir Valley offers a unique opportunity to play golf throughout the summer from April to MaulanaNovember inAzad refreshing Library, surroundings where Aligarh the wind whispers Muslim through University trees of chinar and pine. Kashmir has some of the world’s famous golf courses such as international golf course, which is the highest green golf course in the world situated at a splendid green meadow of Gulmarg at an extremely high altitude of 3730 m above sea level.

155

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

The Royal Spring Golf Course at Srinagar is also one of the best golf courses surrounded by marvellous natural beauty. Other popular golf courses in Kashmir Valley are International Golf Club at Srinagar with 18 holes and Pahalgam golf course. These golf courses attract golfers from different places of the world. One more golf course, and perhaps the best is being developed at Bungus valley, Kupwara (Mir, 2013). Most of India’s golf championships were held on the Gulmarg golf course such as Hill Vase Trophy, Nedou’s Cup, Robin Trophy Calcutta Challenge Trophy, and Kashmir Festival Trophy, etc.

4.2.1.6 Camping

Kashmir Valley has immense potential for camping activities for its visitors. There are so many lush green meadows that provide an opportunity to tourists for camping. Pahalgam which is one of the most beautiful meadows due to its natural climatic condition and natural scenery is an ideal place for summer camping. The Pahalgam and Aru meadows present numerous camping sites amidst pine forests. Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Yusmarg are the other places which are suitable for summer camping. All the Camping equipments are easily available at such places on rental bases.

4.2.1.7 Horse Riding

Horse riding through the lush green forests and along the river banks of any region has its own charm. In Kashmir, it is considered as one of the most delightful activities of visitors. During ridding one comes across different scenic splendours and get excited while crossing the different adventurous tracks. There are hundreds of horses and ponies that are available at different tourist destination such as Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Aharbal (Uma and Bettanaika, 2014).

4.2.2 Eco-tourism

The concept of Eco-tourism itself is a comparatively new one. It means travelling to places that are famous for their natural beauty and social culture while making sure not to damage the ecological balance. However, Eco-tourism in Kashmir has developed Maulanarecently; it is n owAzad counted Library,as one of the prime Aligarh Eco-tourism Muslim destinations. ThereUniversity are so many areas which have very much potential of Eco-tourism such as Bangus Valley, Gurez Valley, Aharbal, Lolab Valley etc. The government of Jammu and Kashmir has set up the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to promote Eco-tourism in Kashmir along with other types of tourism in order to attract the tourists in large numbers (Santek, 2003).

156

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

Photo Plate 20: Water Rafting in Lidder River

Photo Plate 21: Skiing at Gulmarg

Photo Plate 22: Trekking at Chandanwari Pahalgam

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 23: Rock Climbing at Sonmarg

157

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

4.2.3 Pilgrim Tourism

The State of Jammu and Kashmir has been a seat of reference to all major religions of the world. This state is full of sacred sites and most of these sites are located in between the scenic atmosphere of great Himalayas. Kashmir is an epitome of a pleasant blend of art, religion and philosophy. Religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism etc. have co-existed in J&K since hundreds of years especially in Kashmir Valley that is spread with various mosques and temples which are just wondering creations. Visiting Hari Parbat Pilgrim center where a temple, a Gurudwara and a mosque stand side by side provides a feeling of pure brotherhood in between the chief religions of the region. There are various pilgrim destinations for Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists among which the most sacred and famous are Hazratbal Shrine and the Amarnath Cave where thousands and thousands of devotees pay worship every year (Bhat, 2013).

Besides all the above destinations, there are large numbers of other religious places in Kashmir. Some of the sacred places include shrine of Baba Rishi (district Baramullah), shrine of Noor Shah sahib and sheikh Noorudin-wali (District Kulgam), Kheer Bhawani, Charari-sharif (district Budgam), Martand temple, shrine of Baba Naseebudin-gazzi (District Anantnag) and KhankahMoalla and Old Jamia Masjid Srinagar (Dar, 2014).

Thus, looking at the huge untapped potential of Pilgrim Tourism of Kashmir Valley, a number of tourist circuits can be developed like:

1. Srinagar-Hazratbal shrine-sheikh Noorudin Wali’s shrine-Shahdara Sharief via Pir ki Gali. 2. Srinagar-Martand temple- Holy Amarnath cave 3. Srinagar-Old Jamia Masjid-Baba Rishi 4. Srinagar-Kheerbawani 5. Srinagar-Shrine of Baba Naseebudin Gazzi-Shrine of Noor Shah Sahab.

Maulana4.2.4 Wildlife TourismAzad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Wildlife tourism is also called as eco-friendly, sustainable tourism and animal- friendly tourism. Wildlife tourism in its common sense is watching or visiting wildlife animals in their natural habitat. It is an important part of the tourism industries in many countries like India, Africa, Brazil, Australia etc. Nowadays tourists are not pleased with

158

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

cultural or Pilgrimage tourism alone but they look for some excitement, fun, adventure and something other than the habitual. They are more keen to enjoy nature environment and seek wildlife in its usual habitat (Khan, 2015).

Kashmir which is famous all over the globe for its beauty and natural attractions has the vast potential of wildlife tourism. It has a rich forest cover which possess some of the beautiful and exotic species of wildlife, some of which that are even endangered and very rare. It is not only characterized by the amalgamation of flora and fauna but it is also exceptionally rich in biodiversity. Moreover, the wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks at various places of Kashmir can attract tourists from every corner of the globe. The places where tourists and visitors can go for wildlife tourism in Kashmir are the Dachigam National Park, Overa Wildlife Sanctuary and Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve (Das, 2013).

4.2.5 Rural Tourism

Rural tourism has long been considered a way of achieving economic and social development and restoration. More specifically, it has been widely promoted as an effective source of income and employment, particularly in peripheral rural areas where conventional agrarian industries have declined. More recently, however, a number of established tourism places have also turned to rural tourism in order to spread their tourism products and markets and to spread the profit of tourism away from the resorts into the surrounding area (Sharpley, 2002). Generally, rural tourism is seen as a precious and growing sector of the overall tourism market, signifying a major source of income to rural economies.

Kashmir is known all over the world as much for its arts and crafts as for its scenic beauty and refreshing climate which are mainly the production of rural Kashmir. Its crafts range from woolen textiles of the fleecy soft texture of matchless excellence in weaving, hand-woven carpets of the finest warp and weft, to the wonderful designs worked on paper-mâché, woodwork, silverware, etc. They are products of exceptional Maulanacraftsmanship. Azad The skill Library,of the craftsmen andAligarh their capacity Muslim for complex workmanship University are resources, which can help development on a much larger dimension.

Like handicrafts, the handloom industry is also the oldest conventional cottage industry in the state. The importance of this sector lies in the truth that it has vast employment potential; it does not consume meager resources, does not cause pollution

159

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

and is environment-friendly. The social cost profit ratio, therefore of all investment in this region goes up manifold.

Kashmir Valley is renowned for the weaving of specialized fabrics like Pashmina and kani shawls, silken, woollen and cotton fabrics. The kani shawl which was introduced by Zain-ul-Abed in and spanned through the Mughul, Afghan and Sikh rule are primarily found in the tiny village of Kanihama near Magam. Similarly, Main manufacture centers of woolen articles in Kashmir are Bandipur. Nadihal, Gurez, Tillel, Kazipora and Papchal (well known for kandidaror bordered chadars), Lolab valley, Badgam, Beerwah, Chadoora, Sophare, Handwara, Magam and Tarzoo etc.

In the areas surrounding Anantnag in Kashmir, many people are busy in embroidering raffal and pashmina shawls, pherans (a loose over gown worn by men and women). Besides, the Kashmir Carpet, Introduced to Kashmir by Sultan Zain-ul-Abedin in the 15th-century ranks among the best in the world today. The weaver takes unique pride in his skill to accurately reproduce Persian, Turkish, Turkman, Caucasian, Jaipur Moghul and traditional Kashmir Moghul patterns.

Moreover, the silver work of Kashmir is really beautiful and some of the aboriginal patterns, like the chinar and lotus leaf, are of beautiful design. Handmade pieces of high-quality workmanship are available in Srinagar. Articles include cups, bowls, plates, tea and coffee pots, dinner sets, tumblers, boxes, vases and cigarette cases (Dar,2014)

In the rural areas of Kashmir, useful pottery is still in demand for domestic use. Low priced and colourful clay containers are used to store water, cook vegetable, set curds and meat. The Kashmir potter also makes representational objects related with the Shivratri festival, clay-containers for the kangri bowls and chillums containing flaming embers for the hukka. Rural pottery found in Charar-e-Shari area is painted red and blue and is occasionally painted with white and green flowers. Mud-pots for storing water and cuisine continue to be widely used in every village home. MaulanaAbove all, Azad attractive Library, temples, idols and Aligarh monuments testify Muslim to stone carving University being an ancient craft in Kashmir. Athwajan, close to Srinagar is known for its stone work, chiseled stone for paths, pillars, grinding stones and gravestones. Despite having the vast potential for this type of tourism, the rural Kashmir is still in a position of

160

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

underdevelopment which if utilized correctly can prove as a boosting factor for the production of employment and various other skills (Raina, 1971).

4.2.6 Wetland Tourism

Kashmir nestled in northwestern folds of the Himalayas is full of diverse types of freshwater bodies which have a fabulous potential for the development of tourism (Khan, 2000). These consist of both high altitude and low altitude wetlands and natural as well as man-made ones. Some of these wetlands include the world famous Dal Lake which lies in the heart of Srinagar city. Wular, the largest freshwater lake of India about 16 km long and 9.6 km lies in Bandipora district, Anchar lake, a swampy area of about 8 km length and 3 km width in Srinagar, Manasbal lake about 5 km length and 1 km width in Ganderbal District and Hokarsar lake on the Baramulla road, about 13 km from Srinagar with 5 km length and 1.5 km width (National Wetland Atlas, 2006). However these wetlands are the first target of human intervention and are among the most endangered of all natural resources primarily because of increased siltation, eutrophication due to run-off from catchments, agricultural conversion, receding open water areas as a result of increasing reed beds, construction of canals, levees and over-grazing (Bacha, 2002). Thus, if these wetlands are managed and brought to the tourist map of Jammu and Kashmir, new prospects and possibilities of tourism can emerge that will develop the vistas of tourism in Kashmir valley.

4.2.7 Heritage Tourism

The State of Jammu and Kashmir has its own long and glorious history. Under the Antiques Act, any article that is more than 75 years old is to be declared heritage property. Jammu and Kashmir is a land with more enormous potential for heritage tourism. The land is full of natural beauty that is unique to the state. It is also bestowed with a variety of cultural forms and manifestations that has their distinct flavour. It has diverse practices in religion, rites and rituals, fairs and festivals, landscape and people, language and culture. MaulanaHeritage Azad tourism Library, in Kashmir has registeredAligarh vast growth Muslim in the last Universityfew years, ever since additional initiatives were taken by the government of Kashmir to boost Kashmir’s image as a destination for heritage tourism. It has always been well known for its rich heritage and ancient culture. Its glorious past and cultural diversity make a potent blend which attracts millions of tourists each year to its heritage tourist attractions. The

161

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

government of J&K and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture encourage heritage tourism in Kashmir by offering several benefits. Its rich heritage is abundantly reflected in the various temples, palaces, monuments and forts that can be found everywhere in the region Arunmozhi and Panneerselvam, 2013). This immense heritage potential in the region should be included in the wider tourism circuit. Therefore the need is to treat heritage tourism in this region as the function of the tourism. Only then it can thrive in the true tourism sense. First, the heritage tourism assets of the region should be identified and then a proper documentation mechanism has to be devised so that a proper inventory is developed which can be integrated into a well-defined tourism product by employing the proper marketing strategy with the help of the multidisciplinary approach of the varied professionals, who can constitute task force for the application of the mechanism developed from this integrated process. Once this procedure is brought into action it will lead to the heritage tourism development model that will lead to the bright prospects of the overall tourism business in the region.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

162

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

References

Afroz, N. N; and Hasanuzzaman, Md. (2012). Problems and Prospects of Tourism in Bangladesh Bandarban District Case. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 12(23), 6-7.

Ahmed, N. (2013). Potentiality of Employment Generation and Socio-Economic Development in Tourism Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2(4), 26-38.

Arunmozhi, A; and Panneerselvam, A (2013). Heritage tourism. International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review, 1(1), 84-88.

Adventure Sports. (n.d.). Retrieved on December 15, 2016. From Paradise Camping Resort website, http://www.paradisecampingresorts.com/adventure-sports.htm

Bacha, M. S. (2002). Central Assistance for Hokera Critical Wetland, Report. Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir Government, Srinagar.

Bhat, G. R; and Khan, B.A (2014). Impact of Militancy on Tourism of Kashmir, Indian Stream Research Journal, 4(2), 4.

Bhat, Z. A. (2013). Assessments of opportunities and challenges of tourism industry in J&K. International Journal of Research and Commerce, 4(4), 2-3

Chutia, S. (2015). Prospects and Problems of Tourism Industry in Assam. International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 4(2), 638.

Dar, R. R. (2014). Understanding Kashmir Tourism-An Insight into its Trends, Prospects and Problems. International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 4(9), 3-7.

Darzi, M. I. (2016). Tourism sector of Jammu & Kashmir- prospectus and challenges. International Journal of Applied Research, 2(5), 19-20.

Das, D (2013). Tourism in the North-East Indian States: Prospects and Problems. Global MaulanaResearch Azad Methodology Library, Journal, 2(7),Aligarh 2-3. Muslim University Directorate of Economic and Statistical Planning. (2012-2013). Economic Survey. Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir. Ganie. N; and Mir, S. M. (2013). A study on Challenges and Opportunities of Tourism Industry in J&K. International Journal of IT and Commerce, 3(2), 101-102.

163

Chapter-IV Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir

Itoo, M. A. (2011). Impact of Turmoil on Tourism Industry of Kashmir. Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development, 2(7), 1-3.

Kashmir Adventure Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.royalsaffari.com/kashmir -info/kashmir-tourism/-adveenture.html on March 9, 2017

Khan, M. A, (2015). Wildlife tourism in Kashmir: A case study of Dachigam National Park. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 2(2), 354-361.

Khan, M. A. (2000). Wetland Biodiversity in the Kashmir Himalaya: Assessment and Conservation Strategies, Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 221.

Mir, M. S (2013). Geographical Analysis of Tourism in Kashmir Region. An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Delhi, 70-72.

Mir, H. A. (2014). Impact of Tourism Industry on Economic Development of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 5(6), 2-5.

Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI. (2006). National Wetland Atlas: Jammu & Kashmir, Space Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad.

Raina. A. N. (1971). Geography of Jammu & Kashmir, National Book Trust, New Delhi, 32

Santek Consultants Private Limited, (2003). Final Report of 20 years of perspective plan for sustainable development of tourism in J&K. Prepared for ministry of tourism, Government of India, New Delhi.

Shah, F.A, et; al, (2013). Impact of conflict on Kashmir Tourism and Socio-Economic Profile of the People of J&K. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies, 3(7), 37-38

Sharpley, R. (2002). Rural tourism and the challenge of tourism diversification: the case of Cyprus. Elsevier, 233–244. Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Thakur, M. D. (2004). Problems and prospects of Tourism Industry in Gujrat. An Unpublished Ph.D thesis, Saurashtra University, 34-37.

Uma, H; and Bettanaika. B. (2014). Challenges and Prospects of Tourism industry in India. Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary, 2(2), 58.

164

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Kashmir is home for diverse tourist attractions which are found in the shape of natural, cultural, historical and archaeological resources. Despite having immense tourism potential the region has been benefitting little from the tourism sector, because the diversified tourism resources have not been well promoted and transformed into profitable ways (Malik and Bhat, 2013). The tourist associated activities are mainly concentrated in few destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg and Srinagar which poses a serious potential threat to the ecology of these destinations. There are several destinations with significant tourism potential to attract tourists in large numbers, both from inside and outside the country (Mittak, 2013). But these potential areas are economically weak; the living standard of local residents is low and employment opportunities are few which indicate that tourism is not developed systematically in these destinations. Therefore, it is need of the hour to highlight and develop these potential sites to ensure that tourist not only get dispersed into new areas but also help in the spread of the economic benefits to the local people which would be involved in the hospitality activities in these areas (Dar, 2014).

The present study has been attempted to highlight the various untapped tourist destinations of Kashmir. From the field study, it has been observed that there are several destinations with significant tourism potential of tourist attraction in the region but are yet to be unexplored and untapped. The study shows that the identification and delineation of these untapped tourist potential areas in the region will help in reducing the increasing tourist pressure on the already developed destinations. It will not only support to explore the different kinds of tourist attractions but would also guide to develop basic tourist infrastructure, help in proper advertising of the tourist product, managing of tourist flow, optimization of financial returns and organization of the environmental health of the destination for sustainable tourism development in the region (Kuchay and Bhat, 2013).

5.1 Basis of Identification of Tourism Potential Regions

The tourism potential areas have been identified in such a way that the tourist Maulanainflow which Azad presently isLibrary, mostly concentrated Aligarh in few tourist Muslim sites bifurcates University to other new potential areas near and around the major tourist hubs. This would help in the development of the new areas and would reduce the excessive pressures on already developed sites. The identification and delineation of tourism potentials regions have

165

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

been done on the basis of three indicators such as regional landscape evaluation, landforms evaluation and cultural factors.

For the regional landscape evaluation variables were taken into consideration are relative relief, mean slope and forest cover. The weights were assigned to the locations on the basis of the value of variables. The areas with greater relative relief, steeper slope and proximity to the forested areas were assigned higher values and have been identified as the regions of high tourism potential. While as for site-specific aspect the variables were taken into account the locations of specific landforms that could attract the tourists. The landforms such as springs, lakes, rivers and waterfalls were identified. The areas where these landforms are located have been identified as the regions of tourist interest. The third group includes features of cultural and historical importance like places of religious shrines, forts, caves, locations of fairs and festivals, places of art and craft. In order to identify possible centres of tourist attraction, the areas of having such cultural features have been identified and assigned weights. The weights assigned range from 1 to 5. Using these weights a composite index for areal differentiation based on the physical as well as cultural factors was defined (Table 5.1).

Table 5.1: Scores of Composite Index for Tourism Potential Indicators Variables Unit 01 02 03 04 05 Regional Relative Relief Metres < 500 500- 1000- 1500- > 2000 Landscape 1000 1500 2000 Evaluation Mean Slope Degree < 5 5-10 10-15 15-20 > 20 Forest Cover Percentage 0 1-30 31-50 51-70 > 70 Landforms Waterfalls Evaluation Lakes Rivers and Streams Springs Cultural Religious Shrines Importance Historical Caves Ancient Forts Places of Fairs Places of Art and Craft MaulanaSource: Field Survey Azad 2015-2016 Library, Aligarh Muslim University 5.2 Tourism Potentials of Kashmir

The potential of tourism in Kashmir has been assessed on the basis of physical as well as socio-cultural factors. Here while discussing the tourism potentials in the region special emphasis has been given to the rural areas. Because the nature of the rural areas in

166

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Kashmir is not as polluted as compared to other states of India. The north-east, northern- west, and the south-western parts of the region have a high concentration of rural population. These areas are having immense tourism potential and are gifted with a wide range of natural, historical and cultural tourist attractions but have been benefitting little from the tourism sector, because the diversified tourism resources in these virgin areas have not been well promoted and transformed into profitable ways. The map shown in figure 5.1 shows the total potential areas of Kashmir which is based on the composite weight assigned on the basis of landscape evaluation, landform evaluation and cultural factors.

Figure 5.1

Maulana5.2.1 Potential Azad of Natural Library, Tourism Aligarh Muslim University

Nature-based tourism includes all forms of tourism where relatively undisturbed natural environments form the primary attraction (Buckley, 2009). It can include consumptive and adventurous as well as non-consumptive contemplative activities, which

167

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

in turn can include ecotourism. Kashmir is the epitome of natural beauty that surpasses any other region in the whole world. It has reservoirs of tourist attractions that are unparalleled both in its antiquity on man‟s magnificent creations and the unique natural scenic splendor. Its snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes, gardens and a wide range of flora and fauna play an important role in tourist attraction from every corner of the globe.

5.2.1.1 Landscape Evaluation

The map shown in figure 5.2 is based on the composite weight assigned on the basis of relative relief, slope and forest land. The relative relief and the slope best represent the relief diversity in a region. The area with high rises and steep slopes not only provoke the young minds for adventures but also attract the common tourist with its magnanimity. Kashmir has various such areas with high relief and dense patches of forest which could attract tourists from both within the country and outside country. Some of the important potential areas that have been identified on the basis of landscape evaluation are shown in Figure 5.2.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 5.2

168

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Bangus Valley

Bangus valley is an untapped destination lies in the North-western periphery of Tehsil Handwara of District Kupwara. It is located about 97 Kms away from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir (India). The total area of Bangus Valley is approximately 300 Sq. Kms with sloppy topography. It is surrounded by Rajwar and Mawar in the East, Qazinag and Shamusbary hills in the west side, Chowkibal Mountains and Karnah Galli on the northern side, Leepa Mountains in the south, towards north-west are Badrum alpine region which is rich in medicinal herbs. Bangus Valley comprises two parts Bada Bangus (large Bangus) and Chota Bangus (Small Bangus). The principal valley locally known as Bodh Bangus (big Bangus) is a linear elliptical bowl-shaped aligned along the east-west axis and occupies an estimated area of about 300 sq. km (20 x 15 Km). This part comprises a mountain biome which includes grassland biome with flora at lower altitudes and coniferous forests at a higher altitude. It also contains wetlands in the form of a freshwater marsh. Another small part of Bangus Valley locally known as Lokut Bangus (small Bangus) lies in the north-eastern side of the main valley. Both the valleys comprise level green meadows surrounded by low lying mountains covered with dense pine forests (Budloo).

Bangus Valley is one among those hidden and untapped tourist sites of Kashmir that has the rich potential of tourism and can provide many attractions to its visitors in terms of scenic beauty, floristic and faunistic diversity and pollution free environment. This beautiful Valley has vast potential to become an International tourist destination for eco-tourists and also for becoming Asia‟s biggest golf course. It has great potential for both summer and winter tourism. The green patches of Bangus Valley provide shelter to some of the best plants, bird, mammals, reptiles and amphibians species. It is a part of a unique ecological area, comprising mountain and grassland with flora, taiga or coniferous forest. The Valley is as beautiful as Gulmarg and Pahalgam but is less spoiled and more pristine. This valley with its ideal setting will surely capture the hearts and the minds of Maulanaall visitors to Azad the region. Library, Aligarh Muslim University The Valley and the inhabitants living here in and the surrounding areas, provide a unique opportunity for the study and understanding of cultural and biological diversity. Like its scenic beauty, it is famous for its cultural heritage. The people are hospitable by nature. They enjoy social life and mutual entertainment. They are mosaic of different

169

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

castes and tribes etc. They speak Pahari, Kashmiri, and Urdu with a great diversity of local and sub-regional dialects (Mir Ahmed, 2015). The approach to Bangus, passing through various forest ranges provides an ample opportunity for those in search of adventure. There are various amazing passes which connect the Bangus Valley with other areas. The significant and well-known trekking routes of Bangus Valley are:

Mawar Trekking Route through Rashwari: This trekking route starts from Nelvan up to the Bangus Valley and a trek of 4 hours is needed through lush green forests to reach Bangus meadows. Rajwar Trekking Route through Wader Reshnar: This trekking route starts from Reshnar up to Bangus Valley through two paths or gullies Rahwali and Yaddil.

Lolab Valley

Lolab Valley lies in the north-eastern region of the Kashmir and falls under the jurisdiction of Sogam tehsil of district Kupwara. This valley is located at a distance of about 9 Kilometres from the main town of Kupwara and 120 Kilometres from Srinagar. It is an oval-shaped valley which is about 15 miles (24 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide stretching from northwest to south-east direction. It touches its boundary with the Kashmir Valley to the south and the Neelum Valley to the north, while Nagmarg meadows separates it from Bandipora to the east. Lolab Valley is a combination of three sub-valleys, as the Kalaroos valley, Potnai valley and Brunai valley. It is drained by a famous stream Lalkul (Lahwal) which receives water from numerous tributaries flowing from surrounding hills.

Lolab Valley is not only been the site of attraction for the Bollywood fraternity but has also been praised by philosophers, saints and poets for centuries. It is counted among the most beautiful places of Kashmir which if developed properly can attract tourists in large numbers. It is locally known as ‘Wadi-e-Lolab’ because of its splendid beauty, lush green rice fields, mountains and dense forests of deodar. There are extensive pastoral lands present in the valley where a large number of cattle are grazed. Because of Maulanathe presence of Azad dense forests Library,, it provides shelterAligarh to several Muslim species of native University animals, which include Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan brown bear, ibex, markhor, snow leopard, hangul and musk deer. Beside this, it is well known for its fruit orchards, springs, seven lakes, ponds waterfalls, caves, villages and hospitable people (Lone, 2007).

170

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Lolab Valley has the potential to become one of the most excellent tourist destinations in Kashmir because of its splendid beauty. It has many natural landmarks that hold tremendous potential, such as Chandigam, Khurhama, Seemab Valley Dooruswani, Krusan, Khomrial, Sogam, Chandigam, Lalpore Kalaroos, Machil etc. These destinations with natural picturesque beauty surrounded by lush green forests provide ample scope for the adventure loving people for tracking, rock climbing and mountain biking.

Apart from the natural beauty, Lolab Valley is also famous for its pilgrimage sites. The most famous pilgrimage sites are Rasool Shah Sahib, Qamar Reshi Sahib Shrine, Lank Reshi Sahib Shrine, Shrine of Amin Owasi, Kheer Bawani Asthapan and Shrine of Saint Zaiti Shah Wali. The shrine of Saint Zaiti Shah Wali is very famous for Pilgrimage tourists and visitors. It located in village Muqam Shah. The Shrine of Zaiti Shah, his spring, his sister‟s tomb, his brother‟s tomb and a Jamia Masjid are located in the same premises in the village. The shrine is treated equally sacred by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. There are so many spiritual and supernatural activities attributed to the saint. The residents of the village claim to be the offspring‟s of the saint‟s brother. It is believed that the fish in the close by spring has been put in it by Zaiti Shah as dry fish which came to life. A three-day mela (Festival) is held at the Shrine in May every year in which Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs participate in large numbers.

Gurez

Gurez is located at an elevation of about 8000 feet above the sea in the North Eastern region of Kashmir. It falls under the Jurisdiction of Tehsil Gurez District Bandipora which is about 140 kilometres from Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K. It is surrounded by Ladakh on its north, by Bandipora on the south, on its southeast lies district Ganderbal and by Kupwara on the west with its peripheries touching Line of Control (LOC) that separates the states of India and Pakistan. The valley is surrounded by high towering peaks, lofty and glaciated mountains which are not just invariable landmasses but show great differences in characteristic, elevation, rock type, ruggedness Maulanaand glacial Azad work which Library, combine to make Aligarh divergent land Muslim surfaces. It University falls along the historical ancient silk route. The access to Gurez Valley runs through Bandipora and Razdhan Pass. This pass not only connects Gurez Valley with the rest of Kashmir but also separates the two on physical, socio-cultural and linguistic lines. The Kishenganga river

171

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

flows through the valley with an energetic manner, which adds more picturesque beauty to the region.

Gurez Valley enjoys a temperate climate with four usual seasons a year and heavy snowfall during winters that keeps the valley snowbound and cut off it from the rest of the world for near about six months. Winters are very harsh and sometimes temperatures dip to 20 ºC. The diverse topography, excellent environment, varying habitats, climate, and peculiar physical characteristics of the valley add to its luxuriant surroundings, unparalleled and unmatched beauty and above all a rich biodiversity. As charming as its beauty and biodiversity is, its incomparable culture as it houses a unique Shina speaking tribe of Dards is really a part of its beautiness. The cultural tradition and language of this tribe is quite different from that of the rest of the Kashmir and is similar to the tribes in north Pakistan. However over the past few decades, Gurez Valley has been influenced much by Kashmiri culture but it still shows a unique socio-cultural, traditional and linguistic identity.

Gurez Valley is picturesquely placed in the lap of snow clad Himalayas with towering and glaciated Mountains. Lush green meadows, crystal streams, and dense forests etc make this valley one of the most beautiful and attractive spots in Kashmir. It also incorporates the famous pyramid shaped „Habba Khatoon‟ peak named after the well-known Kashmiri poetess. This mountain peak is the main attraction of the valley. As the sun rises, one can observe the mountain peak in various shades as sun rays cut across the mountain ranges. The mountain peaks are simply spectacular with a clear blue sky in the background. The awesome villages of Gurez Valley have log wooden houses which perfectly add a magnificent view to it. The traditional log wood houses make Gurez Valley not less than a European countryside. It has diverse fauna and wildlife including the Himalayan brown bear and the snow leopard.

Gurez Valley offers various opportunities to be developed for its tourism due to its natural scenery, historical significance, cultural and traditional uniqueness. It has great Maulanapotential for adventure Azad tourism, Library, especially white Aligarh water rafting Muslim and trekking that University would be explored fully to benefit the local economy by diverting a large number of tourists to the valley in near future. It also serves as a base camp for trekking activities to the high- altitude lakes of Kishensar and Gangabal. Adventure tourism like trekking, heliskiing, gliding, white water rafting, mountaineering, rock climbing, kayaking, etc. can be an

172

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

awesome attraction for adventure lovers from every corner of the world. Some of the mountains have very much challenging scope for Rock Climbing. Trout fishing is a common sport among locals who through in a line to get descent food for the day.

In Gurez Valley the traditional festival is being held in July every year to create attraction among tourists. During this festival, traditional folk dances and cultural songs are performed by school children and local people with great enthusiasm. Besides this, white water rafting is held in the Kishenganga river and a campsite is set up in the scenic Dawar valley of Gurez in order to attract more and more visitors. Besides these characteristics, Gurez valley also has historical as well as archaeological significance. The ruins of the ancient Sharada University can also be traced in the valley and are preserved along the Kishenganga River. Archaeological survey in Gurez has uncovered hundreds of inscriptions recorded in stones. Carved inscriptions in Brahmi, Kharoshthi, Hebrew and Tibetan all have been found in the Valley. This creates an opportunity for tourists to enjoy a unique culture in the valley.

Munddajii

Munddajii is one of the most excellent health of Rafiabad Baramulla. It is located at a distance of 17 km from Tehsil Dangiwacha and falls under the jurisdiction of district Baramulla. This tourist resort has a unique topography and is surrounded by dense forests of Deodar, Pine, Kail and Burza trees. It is enveloped by beautiful Kajinag Mountain peaks from the west which remains fully clad with snow throughout the year. The villages such as Kitterdajji, Hamam, Markote, Wolanwar and Doniwari are adjacent to Mund Dajii tourist resort. The scenic beauty and the landscape of Munddajii and its adjacent villages are more pristine and beautiful than Gulmarg and Pahalgam. The Streams like Hummal and the Gasji that originates from Kajinag Mountain flowing in a beautiful manner through the Munddajji tourist spot. These streams are famous for trout and have the potential of generating electricity if the proper concentration is given to them by the concerned authorities.

Maulana Foreigners Azad are rarelyLibrary, seen in this Aligarh tourist region Muslim to capture the leapingUniversity wealth. Though domestic tourists especially school going children and youth are rushing to Munddejji and Kiterdaji to enjoy the beauty of nature. Department of tourism has constructed two tourist huts as accommodation for tourists. It provides an excellent trekking route from Munddajji-Gulmarg to its visitors. This track will be an ultimate

173

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

tourist attraction, especially for the trekkers and nature lovers. The entire track is bestowed with spruce forest nestled between mountains. Manddajji and its adjacent area, if developed and promoted as a tourist destination can provide an employment opportunity to thousands of unemployed youth and can help to promote tourism at large scale. The government must take more and more initiatives to develop this beautiful area so that foreigners can get another destination full of charm and beauty.

Bosiya Rafiabad

Bosiya Rafiabad an untapped and unexplored paradise is girdled with awe- inspiring evergreen forests guarded by topless gigantic Kajinag Mountain ranges. This hidden tourist place is located in the dense forests of Rafiabad at a distance of about 20 kilometres from the Tehsil Rohama and 32 Kilometres from Baramulla Town. This destination with natural picturesque beauty surrounded by lush green forests offers excellent opportunities for the adventure loving people for tracking, mountaineering and rock climbing. There is a trek of about 8 Kilometres to Uri Town. Because of its charming attraction, Bosiya has been found a long queue of excursionists and young people making their way to this paradise since the last couple of years. Whosever visits this area, leaves with the urge to come back as soon as possible.

Besides the advantages, it has also many natural landmarks and tourist spots that holds tremendous potential, such as Braman, Khamoh, Ladu and Ladoora. All these villages are famous from the tourist point of view and are pleasant places for a picnic. This untapped charming resort bears a scope for development as a full-fledged tourist place in its own right. Recently this untouched resort has been recognised by Government of Jammu and Kashmir, as one of the potential tourist spots on the map of Tourism. The only infrastructure available at present is two tourist huts. This tourist resort if explored and managed in a proper way, can attract tourists from all over the globe and can boost the economy as well as the standard of local people in a better way (Kashmir Observer, 2015).

MaulanaTosa Maidan Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Tosa Maidan is a magnificent meadow which not only famous as a pasture but also for its historical background. It is surrounded by lush green forests and is located in the mountains ranges of the Himalayas, about 10 km from Budgam district. It is the

174

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

largest pasture in its surrounding areas which is about 3 miles in length and 1.5 miles in width. Sky touching deodar surrounding this pasture presents a magnificent view of a green carpet in summer. During the summer season, the camps of the Gujjars and shepherds with their grazing sheep and cattle in the pastures present a fascinated picture.

Besides this, Tosa Maidan has also historical as well as archaeological significance. It is said that this tourist spot is one of those meadows which the shepherds of other nearby states also used to visit in ancient times. Mughals were also using this route to go Poonch district. They had constructed a seven storyied building here, which has very much historical as well as archaeological importance. There are two passes, Basmai Pass and the Poonch Gali. The Basmai Gali leads into Tosa Maidan while as another pass Poonch Gali which is on the right side of Tosa Maidam leads to the valley of Poonch. This pass was considered to be the easiest, safest, and nearest to reach Punjab in ancient times. This unexplored tourist resort has tremendous potential of becoming an independent destination if developed and managed properly.

Doodhpathari

Doodhpathari is located in district Budgam at a distance of 40 kilometres from Srinagar. This picturesque site is a bowl-shaped lush green valley surrounded by dense forests and hills. It is dotted with gushing streams and meadows. Shali Ganga river which is flowing through the middle of the valley makes it more beautiful and charming destination for the visitors. This beautiful region has got its name from the abundance of milk in this area due to the presence of lush green forests and meadows for the cattle. The shepherds from the nearby villages take their cattle to graze here in order to get good quality milk from their cattle. The J&K Tourism Development Corporation has built a wonderful resort here for tourists. It has magnificent tourism potential but has largely remained untapped and unutilised so far. This tourist place if developed appropriately on tourism circuit can attract tourists throughout the globe and can provide employment to thousands of unemployed local youths. Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Yousmarg

Yousmarg an emerging tourist destination is completely raw, perfect and still unspoiled forest ecosystem lies in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir state. It is situated at an altitude of about 2,377 m above sea level and is approximately 30 Km from

175

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Budgam and 47 km from the Srinagar. It is counted as one of the best resorts that has immense tourist potential and can attract tourist from everywhere. Yousmarg is a small open vale with grassy pastures stretching to acres of land and is surrounded by the dense forests full of pine trees with the backdrop of splendid snow-capped mountains (Habib and Yousuf, 2012). It mesmerizes tourists with its scenic meadows, a sparkling reservoir and mountains that are similar to European Alps. This destination possess has some of the highest peaks in Pir Panjal range like Tata koti 4725 m, Sunset Peak 4746 m and Romesh Thong 5000 m. The mighty river Doodh Ganga which rises from these peaks and flows through it makes this destination more exciting (Skinder and Pandit (2012).

Yousmarg provides best opportunities of skiing to skiing experts. This splendid tourist resort is the wonderful place to go for a picnic especially, for the lovers of long walks. It offers best trekking routes to its visitors. There is a short trek of 4 Kms to a beautiful Nilnag lake which is located between tall pine trees. This lake provides an ultimate pleasure to visitors (Hussain, 2000). It also offers long treks to Tosa Maidan, a large meadow used for cattle grazing by nomads and to the frozen lake which lies in Sang e safed valley which is about 10 km from Yousmarg. This trek is quite fascinating one. The major portion of the lake remained froze throughout the year. Apart from these opportunities, horse riding is another recreational activity of this silent and tranquil Marg. The pony owners here have quite reasonable charges for a ride as compared to other tourist destinations. It is suitable for young couples, as it is the quietest place out of all tourist destinations. Recently State Tourism Department has constructed several tourists‟ huts and tourist bungalows to provide accommodation facilities for the tourists.

Daksum

Daksum is a picturesque spot located in the village Desu Nowbug which lies in south-eastern region of Kashmir, at a distance of 40 km from district Anantnag. This beautiful spot falls along the Anantnag-Sinthan-Kishtwar road. It is accessible by metalled road from Anantnag and Achabal via Koranag. It is known as trekker‟s paradise Maulanaand is swathed inAzad coniferous Library, forests, hidden Aligarhgrassy meadows, Muslim gurgling streams. University Daksum offers peace and tranquillity. The only sound heard there is that of the Bringhi River, which flows rightly through its centre and makes this spot more pleasant and attractive. This tourist spot is must for those who are fond of walking and nature. It forms a part of the notified area of village Desu Nowbug and is enclosed by Gogalmandu forest on east

176

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

and north, Gugnar forest on the north-west and Tsokur forest on south. This spot is essentially a corporation of a number of flat chunks of land with temperate slopes. This tourist spot is relatively without any settlement except a few Gujjar huts and the rest house of the tourism and the forest department.

Daksum has tremendous potential for the future development of tourism industry if tourist infrastructure and linkage is provided and improved. The major potential of this spot is its unique and unparallel environmental character. It is extremely calm and peaceful and the natural scenery is quite unpredictable. The refreshing mountain air, the densely clad hills and the calm and serenity, all make the journey to Daksum an unforgettable experience. Then, there are the snow-clad mountains in the backdrop that further enhance the beauty of this place. The topographical excellence of the place is also exceptional, wherein structures of the type of Gujjar huts become one of the natural features. Water is another gripping feature for development here. The two rivulets which describe the north and south-east boundaries of the spot have a perennial flow. The forests neighbouring the tourist spot have a wide diversity of fauna which is another charming and attracting feature for certain kind of tourists interested in bird watching. There are many treks that are connecting Daksum with interesting points in the area. Trout fish which is found in the Bringi stream is another striking feature of the spot. The moderately sloping large sized plateau (at the moment under potatoes farm) has tremendous potential for recreation and winter sports.

From the landscape perspective, it may be remarked that dense forests with Deodar, Fur, Kail, and the surroundings of mountains lend a calming atmosphere to Daksum. The air is cool, pleasant and fresh with the aroma of the pine. Daksum tourist spot will gain much importance as it will lie on the transportation routes with the commissioning of the Kishtwar Anantnag link. Keeping all these potentials and prospects in view, it is felt that Daksum has tremendous future for development if basic infrastructure is provided.

MaulanaKongwatan Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Kongwatan is one of the finest meadows located in district Shopian. This charming meadow is surrounded by dense forests of pines and firs. A river Veshau flows near to it and makes this spot more pleasant and attractive. There is a small forest rest house available for the visitors constructed by the tourism department. This untapped

177

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

tourist place is inhabited by nomadic Gujar shepherds, said to be descendants of the biblical Abraham and Isaac, or Gujar Rajputs, who come each summer from the plains with their flocks of cattle and buffalo to spend July and August in the high meadows. Foreigner tourists are rarely seen but domestic tourists especially school going children prefer to visit this tourist place during holidays. This tourist spot is must for those who are fond of walking and nature. It has tremendous potential for the future development of tourism industry if tourist infrastructure and linkage is provided and improved.

5.2.1.2 Landform Evaluation

The natural tourism is basically site-specific and mostly related to the presence of natural landforms and scenic beauty. The area with high natural landforms such as lakes, waterfalls, springs etc attracts more tourists with its magnanimity than just a region of high relative relief. Kashmir has a large number of such natural places where either people at present are visiting or the places are having some potential to develop as tourist destinations. Therefore certain specific landforms that have high tourism potential and are spread over the entire region have been identified. Figure 5.3 depicts the tourism potentials areas based on the accessibility of specific landforms.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 5.3

178

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Wular Lake

Wular Lake is considered as the largest freshwater lake in India. It is nestled amid lofty mountains ranges in the north-eastern region of Kashmir valley. This lake lies between the two towns of Bandipore and Sopore and falls under the authority of district Bandipora, approximately 75 km from the city of Srinagar. It spreads over an area of 125 km and has an average length and width of about 16 Km and 10 km respectively. The maximum depth is 5.8 m. It serves as a natural flood reservoir for Jhelum River, by drawing off the excess water from it. Several small streams, viz. Aarah, the Harbuji, Pohru and the Erin streams also flow into the Wullar Lake (Raina, 2002).

The magnificence of Wullar Lake is beyond the description of words. Devoid of any synthetic feature, Wullar Lake reflects the beauty of nature at its best. On the north- east corner of the lake lies ancient ruins of Island Zaina Lanka which convey that once upon a time it was a beautiful place. This Island was designed and shaped by a famous ruler of Kashmir, Zain-ul-Abidin, who ruled Kashmir from 1420- 1470 AD. Wular Lake provides a home to an exotic and wide variety of migratory waterbirds and supports rich biodiversity. The visit of Wullar Lake generally includes the neighbouring town of Bandipora. This town is quite famous for shopping destination for the purchase of woollen carpets manufactured in this area. Another charming place near Wullar Lake is the Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary. Wular Lake has a potential to attract tourists in large numbers if developed and managed properly. Development of recreational facilities such as nature trails, boardwalk, guided boat rides, landscape gardens and angling spots facilities for aquatic sports in the lake would be effective techniques for diversification of livelihood opportunities for local people and generate awareness about the significance of Wular Lake (Wetlands International-South Asia, 2006).

Tangmarg

Tangmarg is one of the best tourist resorts that holds a rich potential to attract Maulanatourists. This Azad splendid touristLibrary, destination Aligarhis located at a distanceMuslim of about University 13 Kilometres from the famous Gulmarg Skiing resort and 20 Kms from the Baramulla District of Jammu & Kashmir. Tangmarg is home to some of the beautiful tourist attractions especially Drang, which is one of the favourite sites for those who visit Gulmarg. It is located 3 km from Tangmarg. Tourists can take a pony or simply trek from Tangmarg to reach this beautiful spot. This majestic place is famed for its beautiful stream that flows in

179

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

a roaring manner. Popularly known for trout fishing and rock climbing, Drang constitutes one of the best picnic spots around Tangmarg. This splendid tourist resort that is gifted with natural beauty attracts the hearts and minds of those who visit the area.

Besides it, Tangmarg is also famous for some of the best streams and hot water springs like Ferozpore Nallah, Ningle Nallah, Waters Meet, Koutar Nag and Banibal Nag. Ferozpore Nallah is an important waterway in the western mountains of Tangmarg area. It receives water from many mountain streams, lakes and springs. It is a popular picnic spot where trout fishing is one of best attractions. Ahead of Ferozpore Nallah lies a beautiful Banibal Nag and Koutar Nag Lakes. These springs emerge out at the foothills of the beautiful mountains of Kashmir. They remain frozen till mid-June, after which strips of melting ice can be seen floating over the water (Raina, 2002). These Lakes are well known for their medicinal impacts and many skin diseases are cured by taking a bath from the water of these Lakes. Tangmarg tourist resort has also a very much reputation throughout the Kashmir for its handicraft works (Naik, 2008).

Manasbal Lake

Manasbal Lake is located in district Ganderbal at a distance of about 30 km from the Srinagar city. It covers an area of about 22 km2 and is about 5 km. long and 1 km wide. It is the deepest lake Kashmir valley having an average depth of 13 metres and perhaps the only one that develops stable summer stratification. This lake is supreme of all the low altitudinal lakes of the Kashmir and the main attraction of this lake is its clean crystal waters and Lotus blossoms which add to its natural beauty. The season between June and August is ideal for conducting various water sports. Manasbal Lake is predominantly surrounded by villages like Kondabal, Jarokbal and Gratbal. It harbours rich biodiversity and is amongst the largest habitat for aquatic birds of the region. This lake is also an ideal place for bird watching (Rashid, et al., 2012).

Apart from natural beauty, Manasbal Lake has also historical significance. Close to the northern shore of the Lake are the ruins of a fort which was built in 17th century by Maulanaa Mughal king toAzad cater the needsLibrary, of caravans Aligarh that used to travel Muslim from Punjab Universityto Srinagar. The eastern part is mainly mountainous and towards the north is an elevated plateau known as „Karewa‟ consisting of lacustrine, fluviatite and loessic deposits. The lake has no major inflow channels and the water supply is maintained through spring water inflow and precipitation. An outlet channel connects the lake with the Jhelum River. The outflow

180

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

of water is regulated artificially. It has a huge potential to attract tourist but has remained untapped and unexplored. This lake if developed and managed properly can provide a large share in attracting tourists to Kashmir (Mir, 2008).

Aharbal

Aharbal is situated at an altitude of 2400 m above sea level on the southern side of Kashmir under the foothills of Peer Panjal Range and is located between Manzgam and Tulihalan villages. It is quite nearer to the well-known Mughal road. This untapped tourist spot falls under the jurisdiction of district Kulgam which is about 51 km from Srinagar the summer capital of J&K. This tourist resort can be approached via Shopian at a distance of 67 Kms and via Kulgam at about 95 Kms from Srinagar. The Aharbal area is mostly inhabited by Gujjar community and Pahari speaking people though some Kashmiris also live in and around there. This tourist resort is counted among of the beautiful places in Kashmir. It is famous for lush green forests, greenery, wooden houses and is a source of fresh and medicinal valued water.

Aharbal is primarily famous for its impressive and beautiful waterfall falling from a height of 25 meters. This charming waterfall is formed by clean and sparkling water of Vishnu River. The roar and sound of this waterfall with mist formed by water vapours looks horribly beautiful. In fact, its beauty is so exciting that one tries to go near and near to it and keep watching and enjoying it for hours. This waterfall really captures the hearts and minds of excursionists during summer and autumn season. Aharbal waterfall is formed at a debauching point of Veshav River, as it moves further down from Kungwattan area it joins with river Jhelum River at Sangam near Bijbihara Town. The chief source which feeds Aharbal waterfall is a beautiful mountain lake known as Kousernag which is 20 Kms from Aharbal. This lake generally remains frozen and covered with icebergs till late June.

On way to Aharbal tourist resort is a charming woodland unexplored meadow of Kungwattan approx. 5 km from (Aharbal) and Chirranbal village which is a track of 6 km Maulanaform Manzgam Azad (Aharbal) Library, (Hussain, 2000) Aligarh. These areas Muslim could be explored University by trackers. The track is an adventurous trip for the adventurous spirit which has a potential for development. Further, eleven kilometre ahead of Kungwattan meadow is a clear freshwater lake “Kounsernag” which generally remains frozen and ice covered till late June. From the religious point of view, Aharbal has also very much significance because

181

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

there is a shrine of Zealshah Shahib and a famous Khirbawani on its way, both these shrines are covered with beautiful and charming lush green tall pine trees.

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir had established Aharbal Development Authority in 2006 in order to tap the vast potential in the tourism sector by improving new infrastructure and revamping the existing facilities in Aharbal for the promotion of tourism in Aharbal. This Tourism Development Authority has constructed 4 huts and has shortlisted 15 people of Aharbal for development of paying guest accommodation and sanctioned them a subsidiary loan. These facilities and services will encourage the tourist inflow and night stays which will be having a positive impact on the economy as well as the living standard of local people of Aharbal.

Kokernag

Kokernag is a beautiful tourist resort which has spring and offers unique charming beauty and fresh water rich in minerals having a creative effect. It is situated at a height of 2,020 m, above sea level. It lies approximately 15 miles from Anantnag town and 70 km from the Srinagar summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. This place is mostly famous for its digestive freshwater spring, which is considered as the largest freshwater spring of the Kashmir valley. The spring gushes out of the foot of a thickly wooded hill from where it divides into channels. Blooming gardens surround this spring, which bubbles at seven places at the base of the forested mountain. The water of Kokernag spring is supposed to have medicinal and digestive properties, because of these medicinal and digestive characteristics, the spring is also known as Papashudan Nag or the sin-cleaning. There is also a botanical garden and a rose garden near Kokernag tourist resort, overflowing with fragrances of flowers and shrubs. This charming resort is also famous for its healthy climate that might attract a tourist throughout the globe. Department of Tourism J&K had constructed a Dak Bungalow, Some huts, a dormitory in the tourist office and a camping area for tents for the accommodation of tourists. There is also a restaurant in the tourist office, a few Dhabas and some dining facility in the Dak Bungalow (Hussain, 2000). Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Verinag

Verinag is beautiful tourist spot situated at the foot of Peer Panjal Mountains in the extreme south of Kashmir at the altitude of 1876 meters above mean sea level. This beautiful place is located about 26 kilometres away from Anantnag district and

182

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

approximately 80 kilometres from Srinagar which is the summer capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It lies at the entry point of Kashmir right after crossing famous Jawahar Tunnel hardly 3 km from Jammu Srinagar national highway. Verinag has a potential for development as a transit centre due to its strategic location. The major tourist attraction of this site is the crystal clear blue water spring. It is believed that Verinag spring is the chief source of river Jhelum. The Mughal laid out a small garden and a small canal in the centre which is important feature Verinag tourist resort. Besides a glimpse of the Verinag Spring, this place is also unusual by the sight of several varieties of colourful flowers, cool and pleasant mountain air. The adjoining hill which is covered by lush green dense forest tending splendour to the Verinag and its surrounding area. There are also remains of Mughal pavilion and baths in Verinag, down the stream to the east. In addition, the morphology of the area suggests that some beautiful spots could be developed keeping in view the existing situation. Verinag spring and Mughal Arcade surrounding it are officially recognized by Archaeological Survey of India as a Monument of National Importance. The tourist infrastructure in Verinag included a 4-bed Dak Banglow and 6 rooms in the form of huts. Keeping in view these characteristics, Verinag area could be well developed in an integrated manner to the benefit of the local population and tourists (Santek, 2003).

Kousarnag

Kousarnag is considered as the largest mountain lake in Kashmir. It is located in a valley that is bounded on all sides by some of the most picturesque peaks of Pir Panjal range at an elevation of 13,000 feet above sea level. This Lake falls under the jurisdiction of Kulgam District. It is approximately 2 miles long and half a mile wide (Mir, 2013). The trekking route (20 Kms) to Kousarnag Lake is via the famous waterfall of Aharbal. The lake has very much significance among the pilgrimage tourists because it is one of the two places in Kashmir that is associated with the worship of „Visnupad‟. Kousarnag an untapped and unexplored tourist destination blessed with plentiful natural beauty is Maulanaone of the mostAzad excellent Library, suited place sAligarh that could be developedMuslim into anUniversity eco-friendly tourist destination. Such untapped and unutilized virgin tourist destinations have the capability to attract tourists in large numbers, both from within and outside the country. It has huge tourism potential and can be optimally utilized for transforming the economic

183

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

landscape of the region, besides putting it on larger canvas which would in turn improve income-generating opportunities for local people.

5.2.2 Potential of Cultural Tourism

The cultural tourism is basically site-specific and mostly related to pilgrimage and historical monuments. However, besides these the local level annual fairs and festivals where people gather occasionally as well as the weekly markets where people frequently gather for trade also have sufficient potentials for development of tourism in a region. Kashmir has a large number of such places where either at present people are visiting or the places are having some potentials to develop as tourist centres. Some of the important potential centres that have been identified as the regions of tourist potential are shown in figure 5.4.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Figure 5.4

184

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Baba Reshi Shrine

Baba Reshi shrine is a popular pilgrimage destination situated on the slopes of the mountains near about 10 Kilometres from the famous hill station Gulmarg and about 35 Kilometres from the district headquarter Baramulla. This pilgrimage destination belongs to a famous saint Baba Payam Din Reshi, a renowned Muslim scholar, who served as a chief courtier during the reign of King Zainul-Abidin, King of Kashmir. The most important feature of this shrine is the grave of Baba Payam-Din, enclosed with a sheet of cloth decorated with the unique workmanship. The shrine is famous for conceding the boons to its devotees and who get their boons approved, revisit this shrine, to make a grateful offering in honour to the great saint. The anniversary of Saint Reshi is celebrated every year and people from far-flung areas visit the shrine on the occasion. This religious building displays a mixture of Persian and Mughal architectural designs. It is also well- known for its internal wooden works of unique style, which beautifies the tomb.

Charar-e-Sharief Shrine

Charar-e-Sharief shrine is located in Budgam district on the way to Yusmarg 35 Kilometres from Srinagar city. Inheriting a heritage of about 600 years old, Charar-i- Sharief was built to pay worship to one of the holy saints of Sufism and leading Rishi (Saint) of Kashmir “Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Noorani” who preached Islam through his poetry. This pilgrimage destination is regarded as one of the holiest of places of Muslim sect. At this shrine, there is the largest congregation of people, where thousands of Muslims attend the shrine to invoke the blessing of Saint. On the eve of festival his wooden stick, shoes, etc are displayed to pilgrims. This sacred place has potential to provide an opportunity for tourists to learn about the history of the sacred place of worship. Every year festival is celebrated at Charar-i-Sharief shrine in which thousands of people from all faiths participates and pays homage to the holy saint at the shrine.

Kheer Bhavani MaulanaKheer Azad Bhavani isLibrary, a temple dedicated Aligarh to the GoddessMuslim Kheer BhavaniUniversity and is constructed over a sacred spring. The Kheer Bhavani spring is the most sacred place for Hindus and worship of this temple is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir. The temple is situated at a distance of 14 miles east of Srinagar near the village of Tul Mulla. On the eighth day of the full moon in May, devotees gather at the Kheer Bhawani Temple and

185

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

observe fasts. It is believed that Goddess Ragnya changes the spring‟s colour on this auspicious day. It is believed that if the colour changes to black, it is believed to be inauspicious and is considered a bad omen that would result in a disaster in the Valley. An annual festival is being held here in May or June when a number of devotees visit this place to offer prayers. The beautiful spring of clear water overshadowed by fabulous shady trees and full of sacred fish adds an ethereal beauty to this place (Mir, 2008).

Aishmuqam Shrine

Aishmuqam is the shrine of a Sufi saint Baba Zaina-ud-din Wali. This shrine is located on a hillock, which stands 86 km away from Srinagar en route to Pahalgam tourist destination. The main sanctorum is placed inside a deep and narrow cave, which also contains several relics associated to Saint Baba. All the relics are highly respected by the devotees of this shrine which is very popular all over Kashmir. The shrine hosts one week long Zool festival every year in the month of April, in respect and memory of Shiekh Zaina-ud-din Wali. The procession involves holding torch lights ‘leshi’ in a peculiar way, which depicts public seeking blessings of the saint. Thousand of devotees gathering at this shrine to celebrate his urs (festival) every year are people belonging to all faiths and gender without any discrimination.

Kalaroos Caves and Satbaran Tunnel

Kalaroos caves and Satbaran Tunnel are located between the Madhmudu and Lashtyal villages of Kalaroos area about 10 Kilometres from the District headquater Kupwara. It is believed that Kalaroos caves are secret routes to Russia. The first two and a half kilometres of the tunnel can be covered on foot. Adjacent to Kalaroos Caves, there is a giant structure monumental site called Satbaran (7 doors of carved stones) which show the great architecture of carving of stones in old times. The Satbaran place is exactly crafted half-buried stone in the ground. The stone is carved with seven doors and people call it Sath Barr (in local parlance) which means seven doors. These seven doors Maulanaindicate the seven Azad different Library, routes to Russia Aligarh and other countries. Muslim It is believed University that Pandavas had built this structure centuries ago, which acted as a worship place for them. These structures are of unique archaeological as well as historical importance.They attract people from neighbouring areas and have become popular picnic spots. Lolab Bungus Drangyari Development Authority (LBDDA) has taken up the matter with Department of

186

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Archaeology and Museums to preserve and declare these places as “Protected monuments and heritage sites” in order to increase cultural tourism in the district (Farooq, 2011).

Hari Parbat Fort

The Hari Parbat hill crowned by the Pathan fort, which is able to be seen from every part of the city, has from time immemorial been a place of great sanctity in Kashmir. It is an ancient Mughal Fort which is situated to the western side of the Dal Lake. This surrounding walls of the fort was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1590. But the present fort was built in 1808 under the reign of Shuja Shah Durrani and Atta Muhammad Khan, an Afghan governor. The presence of the Muslim shrine Makhdoom Sahib, Hindu temple, Sikh shrine Chatti Padshahi and the Chakreshwari in the vicinity add to the significance of the fort.

Drangyari Village

Drangyari Village is situated in the foothills of the Nattishanner Gali, on the Kupwara to Karnah Valley road about 8 Kms from the main town of Chowkibal Kupwara. Because of its gushing streams and lush meadows, it is counted among the famous tourist villages of Kashmir. This tourist spot is surrounded by famous places like Badi Behak, Tilipatra and Aincha which are famous for their wildlife. Drangyari has the Maulanapotential to Azad attract foreign Library, tourists by wayAligarh of bird watching, Muslim nature treks University and related ecotourism activities. The area hosts many birds including Pheasants, Tragopan, Monal Pheasant, Black Partridge, Bush and wildfowl. Apart from these attractions, Drangyari has also historical importance. It hosts many historical spots including Raja Ram mountains, Farkan, Melyal, Seeta Kund, Ram Kund, Lakshman Kund and Hanuman

187

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Kund. These areas are considered sacred by Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits. There is also a famous temple Kheer Bhawani at Tikker Kupwara. Thousands of devotees throng the temple during its annual mela (Festival) (Mir and Ahmed, 2015).

5.3 Basic Requirements for Tourist Destination Development

It‟s a well-known fact that without a destination there can be no tourism. When people travel, they go to some particular place. There must be a presence of certain elements for the development and management a destination. These elements are interconnected and have to function properly with coordination of each other. There are six basic elements of destination development which are extremely very important to the success of any destination. These elements are popularly called as six A‟s of Tourism.

Figure 5.5

Maulana5.3.1 Accessibi lityAzad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

This refers to the transport and transport infrastructure to reach the destination. Tourists look for comfort and peaceful travel. There are many important factors such as comfort, convenience, cost, time for travelling, and safety which must be considered before undertaking a journey. Tourists look forward to smoothing travel in terms of a

188

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

well-developed network of roads, railway lines, airports, regular schedules, and adequate means of safe transport.

5.3.2 Accommodation

It plays a vital role in the development of tourism. Tourists need a place to stay and relax. They look for clean, hygienic and well-maintained accommodation with a comfortable bed and sanitary facilities with adequate hot and cold water supply. Without suitable accommodation, there would be no tourism as accommodation is the short-term home of the tourist at the destination.

5.3.3 Attractions

Attraction is the main reason for undertaking travel to a particular destination. It is classified into four categories such as Natural attractions, Human-made attractions, Social attractions and Cultural attractions.

5.3.4 Amenities

Amenities refer to the facilities available at the destination which help in meeting the wants and needs of tourists. Tourist amenities include food, drinking water, medical facilities, beverage facilities, electricity, good communication network, local transport, automatic teller machine (ATMs), proper garbage and sewage disposal systems, etc.

5.3.5 Activities

Activities are another important elements for tourist destination development. A number of activities may be accessible at the destination to suit various age groups and social backgrounds. Tourists may be attracted to a destination for any activity which helps them to spend their time with pleasure.

5.3.6 Affordability

Tourists should be able to afford the trip in terms of transport cost, entrance fees, accommodation charges and other expenses. It means that the tour should be affordable in Maulanaboth time and Azad money. Tour Library, operators and Aligarh travel agents should Muslim prepare the University package tours keeping affordability in mind. A successful tourist destination should have a good balance between these six „A‟s and ensure that there is something to see and do for people of different ages and backgrounds so that a large number of people visit the destination (Roday, et. al., 2010).

189

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

References

Dar, H (2014). The potential of tourism in border destinations: A study of Jammu and Kashmir. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 4(2), 1-2.

Habib, S and Yousuf, A. R. (2012). Benthic macro invertebrate community of Yousmarg streams (Doodganga stream and Khanshah Manshah canal) in Kashmir Himalaya, India. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment, 4(11), 1-3.

Hiremath, A. (2013, May 17). 5 unexplored places in Kashmir. Retrieved from http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/5- unexplored-places-in-kashmir/?print=pdf,

Hussain, M, et,al. (1985). Geography of J &K. Ariana Publishing House, New Delhi, 191.

Hussain. M (2000). Systematic Geography of Jammu & Kashmir. Rawat Publication, New Delhi, 211-212

Kashmir Observer, (2015, December 15). Bosiya Coming up as New Tourist Destination,

Retrieved from http://www.kashmirobserver.net//news/business/bosiyacomingnew

touristdestination.

Kuchay, N. A & Bhat, M.S (2013). Tourist Flow and Tourism Potential Regions of Gulmarg in Kashmir Himalayas. Global Journal of Human, Social Science, Geography, Geo-Sciences, Environmental Disaster Management, 13(4), 28-29.

Lone, S. A (2007). Seed Collection and Identification of Forest Trees of Kashmir. An Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Department of Botany, H.N.B. Garhwal University.

Lone. S; Lone. F. A; and Asif, M. (2013). Carrying Capacity Assessment for the Promotion of Ecotourism in Bangus Valley: a Future Tourist Destination of J&K- India. International Journal of Scientific Research, 2(3), 187.

Malik, M. I and Bhat M. S. (2013). Identification of Tourist Potential Regions for Balanced Tourism Development in Pahalgam Tourist Destination of Kashmir MaulanaValley, InternationalAzad Library, Journal of Scientific Aligarh Research, 2(4),Muslim 189. University Mir, A. H and Ahmed, A. (2015). Prospects of Ecotourism in Bangus Valley J&K. International Journal for Scientific Research & Development, 3(1), 776-777

Mir, A. H. (2008). Impact of tourism on the development in Kashmir valley, An unpublished M.Phil Thesis, Department of Geography, AMU, Aligarh, 62.

190

Chapter-V Identification of Potential Areas for Balanced Tourism Development in Kashmir

Mir, A. H. (2008). Impact of Tourism on the Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir. An Unpublished M.Phil Thesis, Department of Geography, AMU, 44-51

Mir, M. S. (2013). Geographical Analysis of Tourism in Kashmir Region, An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Delhi, 55- 56

Mittak, M. (2013). Management of Tourism in Punjab: An Appraisal, An Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Department of Commerce, Punjabi University, Patiala, 202

Naik, A. B (2008). Tourism Potential in Ecological Zones and Future Prospects of Tourism in Kashmir. An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, A.M.U, Aligarh, 101

Rafiq, S. (2011, October 10). Declare Kalaroos, Satbaran Caves as heritage sites. Greater Kashmir. Retrieved from http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/kashmir/-declare- kalaroos-satbaran-caves-as-heritage-sites-/2731.html,

Raina, A. N. (2002). Geography of Jammu & Kashmir State. Radha Krishan Anand & Co., Pacca Danga, Jammu, 9.

Rashid. I; Farooq. M; Muslim. M and Romshoo, S. A. (2012). Assessing the Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on Manasbal Lake in Kashmir Himalayas. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 3(6), 2037-2038

Roday. S; Biwal, A. and Joshi, V. (2010). Introduction to Travel and Tourism, Tourism Operations and Management, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 15-20.

Santek Consultants Private Limited. (2003). 20 Year Perspective Plan for Sustainable Development of Tourism in Jammu & Kashmir. Ministry of Tourism Government of India, New Delhi.

Skinder, M. B and Pandit, A. K. (2012). Impact of Biotic Interferences on Yousmarg MaulanaForest Azad Ecosystem, Library, Kashmir. International Aligarh Journal Muslim of Scientific University & Engineering Research, 3(4), 2-3.

Wetlands International-South Asia, New Delhi. (2006). Final report, Comprehensive Management Action Plan for Wular Lake Kashmir. Department of Wildlife Protection Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir.

191

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Tourism specialists claim that most backward regions often offer the most exotic resource base for the promotion of tourism (Singh & Kaur, 1983). This may be applicable to the states located in the Himalaya. For such area, tourism is one of the ways to enhance the economic development. It can be stated without much hesitation that Jammu and Kashmir especially Kashmir Valley, which is counted as one of the best tourist destinations in India, has achieved commendable success by exploiting its exotic scenic beauty. The mountain environment in the region is ideally suited for outdoor recreation and the sale ability of its aesthetic properties is undoubtedly a boon to the local community (Nengroo and Bhat, 2015). The region has many internationally acclaimed tourist destinations. The lush green golden meadows of Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Yousmarg and Sonamarg have remained an attraction for the centuries. Tourism in fact is the part of the Valley’s culture and tradition and now more importantly, it has influenced every aspect of economy of the region and has brought rapid changes in the developmental scenario (Bhat, 2014). The present study has been made to highlight the various developments in terms of infrastructure, employment, income and handcrafts generated by tourism industry in Kashmir. It also shows the seasonal, annual and decadal variation of tourist influx in the region. Besides this, it also throws light on the country-wise variation of tourists in Kashmir.

6.1 Growth rate of Tourist Flow in Kashmir

There has been a continuous fluctuation in the tourist arrivals to Kashmir. From a modest annual figure of 121153 in 1970, the number of tourists in the region has increased up to 594517 in 1980 and 722035 in 1988 as shown in Table 6.1. This is to say, the tourist arrival has increased by 390 percent between the year 1970 and 1980 and by about 21 percent between 1980 and 1988. The number of domestic tourists per year rose up from 105420 in 1970 to 548491 in 1980 and to about 662097 in 1988. This Figure shows an increase of 420 percent between 1970 and 1980 and 20 percent between 1980 and 1988. Similarly, the number of foreign tourists increased from 15737 in 1970 to 46026 in 1980 and to 59938 in 1988, thus recording an increase of 192 percent between Maulana1970 and 1980 Azad and 30 percent Library, between 1980 Aligarh and 1988. Muslim University

From 1989 to 2002, there has been a sharp decline of tourism arrival to Kashmir. The figure of tourist flow decreases from 557974 in 1989 to only 27356 in 2002. The tourist flow was decreased by about -95 percent during this period. The figures for the domestic tourists in 1989 and 2002 were 490212 and 24670 respectively showing a

192

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

decrease of about -95 percent of tourist arrival during this period. While as the number of foreign tourist to the region also shows a downward trend by about -96 percent between 1989 and 2002 with figures 67762 and 2686 respectively. During this period insurgency and political unrest was at its peak in the Kashmir due to which tourists were not interested to take any kind of risk and visit the region.

From 2002 onward the insurgency in Kashmir was under control to some extent due to which there was a gradual improvement in the tourist arrivals. From the year 2003 to 2012, there has been about 586 percent increase in the tourist arrival with a total of 191164 tourists in 2003 and 1311840 in 2012. The number of domestic tourists in 2003 and 2012 has been recorded as 182205 and 1274674, which shows an upward trend of 600 percent during this period. The number of foreign tourists during this period also shows an increasing trend and it rose by 315 percent with total figures of 8959 and 37166 in 2003 and 2012.

From the year 2013 to 2015 there was again a gradual decline both in tourist arrivals in Kashmir. In 2013 the total tourist arrival was 1172008 which decreased up to 927815 in 2015 which shows a decline of -21 percent in the tourist arrival during this period. The total number of domestic tourists during 2013 and 2015 were 1142865 and 898861 which also shows a downward trend of -21 percent. The foreign tourists in 2013 were 29143 which decreased up to 28954 in 2015 thereby showing a slight decrease of - 0.65 percent. The main reason for the decrease of both domestic as well as foreign tourists during this period was a massive flood that occurred in Kashmir in 2014.

Table 6.1 shows that during 1980 to 2015 there were some years with the negative growth of tourist flow in Kashmir. The years 1982, 1983 and 1984 witnessed the negative growth rate. Because during this period, the political instability and insurgency was at its peak in the state of Punjab. The mass demonstrations that broke out in Punjab largely affected the tourism industry of Kashmir because Punjab was the only route to Kashmir at that time. In 1989, the militancy also broke out in J&K, due to which the tourism industry in the region almost came to a halt and it virtually collapsed, which leads to the unique Maulanastimulant for growth Azad of tourism Library, in Himachal PradeshAligarh and other Muslim neighbouring statesUniversity of the Jammu and Kashmir. Because of this political disturbance, the years 1989, 1990 and 1991 witnessed the negative growth of tourist arrival by -22.72, -98.08 and -41.36 percent respectively. During the nineties the figure of tourist arrival came to stand still there by gives a serious jolt to the tourism industry of Kashmir.

193

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 6.1: Year-wise Growth rate of Domestic and Foreign Tourists in Kashmir (1980 to 2015) Year Domestic Percent % Foreign Percent % Total Percent Change share Change share Tourists Change 1980 548491 10.12 92.26 46026 -17.43 7.75 594517 8.14 1981 598555 9.13 93.18 43745 -4.95 6.82 642300 8.04 1982 560987 -6.28 92.90 42851 -2.04 7.10 603838 -5.99 1983 398428 -28.98 90.64 41101 -4.08 9.36 439529 -27.21 1984 192684 -106.78 84.08 36458 -11.30 15.92 229142 -47.87 1985 465599 141.64 92.45 38015 4.27 7.55 503614 119.78 1986 536598 15.25 90.99 53118 39.73 9.01 589716 17.10 1987 664081 23.76 92.02 57537 8.32 7.98 721618 22.37 1988 662097 -0.30 91.69 59938 4.17 8.31 722035 0.06 1989 490212 -25.96 87.85 67762 13.05 12.15 557974 -22.72 1990 6095 -98.76 56.84 4627 -93.17 43.15 10722 -98.08 1991 1400 -77.03 22.26 4887 5.62 77.74 6287 -41.36 1992 1175 -16.07 11.38 9149 87.21 88.62 10324 64.21 1993 450 -61.70 5.31 8026 -12.27 94.69 8476 -17.90 1994 500 11.11 5.09 9314 16.05 94.91 9814 15.78 1995 322 -35.6 3.77 8189 -12.08 96.23 8520 -13.18 1996 375 14.13 3.76 9592 17.13 96.24 9967 16.98 1997 7027 1773.87 43.54 9111 -5.01 56.46 16138 61.91 1998 99636 1317.90 90.67 10247 12.47 9.33 109883 580.90 1999 200162 100.89 92.11 17130 67.17 7.89 217292 97.75 2000 104337 -47.87 93.23 7575 -55.78 6.77 111912 -48.50 2001 6673 -93.60 91.92 5859 -22.65 8.08 72591 -35.13 2002 24670 269.70 90.28 2686 -54.15 9.82 27356 -62.31 2003 182205 638.57 95.32 8959 233.54 4.68 191164 598.80 2004 358095 96.53 95.05 18634 107.99 4.95 376729 97.07 2005 585702 63.56 96.74 19680 5.61 3.26 605382 60.69 2006 412879 -29.51 95.37 20009 1.67 4.63 432888 -28.49 2007 417264 1.06 94.44 24576 22.82 5.56 441840 2.07 2008 551041 32.06 96.23 21588 -12.16 3.77 572629 29.60 2009 577348 4.77 96.02 23904 10.73 3.98 601252 5.00 2010 710504 23.06 96.47 25984 8.70 3.53 736488 22.49 Maulana2011 1282360 Azad 80.48 Library, 97.56 Aligarh32110 23.58 Muslim2.44 1314470 University 78.48 2012 1274674 -0.60 97.17 37166 15.74 2.83 1311840 -0.20 2013 1142865 -10.34 97.51 29143 -21.59 2.49 1172008 -10.66 2014 1140446 -0.21 97.67 27172 -6.76 2.33 1167618 -0.37 2015 898861 -21.18 96.88 28954 6.56 3.12 927815 -20.54 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

194

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 6.1 also shows that during the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 there has been downfall in the tourist arrival in Kashmir and shows a negative growth of -48.50, -35.13 and -62.31 percent durin g these years. In the year 2000 about 35 Sikhs were killed in the village Chattisingpora in Baramulla district, a day before then President of US Bill Clinton was to arrive on his visit to India, this incident leads a heavy demonstration in Kashmir Valley (Swami, 2000). In 2001 there was a massive attack on world trade centre which had its effect on world tourism. In the same year on 23 September Indian parliament was attacked by terrorists, which had its effect not only in Indian tourism but also affects the tourism sector of Kashmir. Similarly, in May 2002, Abdul Gani Lone, a leading and popular Separatist leader was killed by unidentified gunman, which led to the massive demonstration and uprising in the Kashmir valley in which near about 100 people were killed in clashes (Ganai, 2011). The year 2006 also showed a downward trend of -28.49 percent because of attacks on the tourists by the militants in the Kashmir valley. After 2006 the growth of tourist arrival to Kashmir Valley continuously increased up to 2012 and about 13.11 lakh tourists were recorded in Kashmir Valley. This shows that the tourism sector of Kashmir has improvement than before. But after 2012, tourist arrival to Kashmir Valley was again decreased. In 2014 and 2015 the growth of tourist arrival was decreased by -0.37 and -20.54 percent respectively. The main reason for the negative growth rate of tourist arrival to Kashmir after 2013 was a massive flood that occurred in Kashmir in 2014.

Growth rate of Tourist Flow in Kashmir (1980-2015)

800

600

400

200 Percent Change Percent 0 Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University -200 Year Percent Change

Figure 6.1

195

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

6.2 Seasonal Variations in Tourist Traffic in Kashmir

Tourist flow to the Kashmir as elsewhere in the world is subjected to seasonal variations. This uneven seasonal variation of tourist traffic in the region is mainly due to its prolonged unpleasant weather characterised by long and severe winter crimpling the tourist industry. Tourists of different kinds and varied nature are visiting Kashmir throughout the year for diverse and dynamic purposes comprising Pilgrims, Trekkers, Gofers, nature lovers etc.

Table 6.2: Seasonal Variation of Tourist Flow in Kashmir (2012-2015) Season 2012 % 2013 % 2014 % 2015 % share share share share from from from from total total total total Spring 219873 16.82 170720 14.57 165562 14.17 101471 10.93 Summer 737034 56.35 703308 60.00 882946 75.62 521484 56.20 Autumn 132409 10.12 117883 10.06 32565 2.79 124281 13.39 Winter 218734 16.72 180097 15.37 86545 7.41 180579 19.46 Total 1308050 100 1172008 100 1167618 100 927815 100 Source: Directorate of Tourism Kashmir (J&K), 2016

Table 6.2, depicts that there is a great seasonal variation in the tourist flow to Kashmir. It has been seen that majority of tourists whether it is domestic or international mostly visiting Kashmir in summer and winter season and the number of visitors shows a special preference for Sundays and general summer holidays (Hussain, 2000). In 2012 about 737034 tourists arrived in Kashmir during the summer season which constitutes about 56.35 % of total tourist flow in 2011, while in 2013, 703308 tourists were registered in the same season constituting 60 % of total annual tourist flow and this figure was increased to 882946 in summer season of 2014 and constituting 75.62 % of tourist flow. In the summer season of 2015 about 521484 tourists arrived in Kashmir which accounts about 56.20 % of total annual tourist flow. During the summer season of 2015, the figure of tourist arrival was declined as compared to the previous year. This decline of Maulanatourist inflow Azad into the Kashmir Library, was due toAligarh the massive floods Muslim that occurred University in the month of September 2014.

During the summer season, maximum tourists visited the Kashmir because of the pleasant climatic condition. Both the home as well as the foreign tourist influx was at the peak position in this season. During this season the temperature remains always very high

196

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

in India and hot airwaves are moving which are locally called as Loo. So the people in the southern parts of India such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andra Pradesh move to the Kashmir and enjoy the pleasant summer (Mir, 2014). During the rainy season which starts from 15th July, onwards the tourist’s traffic slowly decreases because in the Southern parts of the country the temperature starts falling and climatic conditions get better in remaining parts of the country. The foreign tourist remains on peak in this period. The religious tourism in Kashmir also remains on peak in this period because tourists move to Amarnath Shrine from all over the country.

The autumn season which start from September is perhaps the loveliest season in Kashmir. In this season the trees shed their leaves and green turns to gold and then to red- brown colour. The highest day temperatures in September remains around 23°C and during night mercury dip to 10 °C by October and further drop by November. This is the season when the tourist traffic in Kashmir gradually declined. It has been seen from the table 6.3 that in the year 2012 during the autumn season about 132409 tourists visited Kashmir and this figure accounts for about 10.12 % of total annual tourist flow. This figure was decreased to 117883 (10.06) in the same season in 2013 and further sharply declined up to only 32565 tourists in autumn 2014, thereby constituting about 2.79 % of total annual tourist flow. During autumn season 2015, the figure of tourist arrival to Kashmir was again increased to 124281 which account about 13.39 % of total tourist flow of 2015 due to the massive floods that occurred in Kashmir in 2014.

The onset of winter season which starts from November to February presents Kashmir an another outlook as the landscape becomes exposed which soon to be covered by the white blanket of the first snowfall. During the winter season, only adventurous tourism is developed. Mostly the tourists visit the Kashmir that are interested in winter sports like, mountaineering, hiking, rafting, snow scatting, and other winter games. The limited tourists come from all over the globe to participate in the winter games that are being held in Gulmarg, Pahalgam and other places of Kashmir every year. Diversification and promotion of activities such as winter sightseeing, snow skating, skiing etc have led Maulanato increased tourists Azad during Library, the winter season. Aligarh Table 6.2, Muslim shows that in 2012,University about 218734 tourists were recorded in Kashmir in the winter season which constitutes about 16.72 % of total annual tourist arrival. In the same season in 2013, the figure was reduced to 180097 (15.37) which further decreased to 86545 (7.41) in the same season in 2014.

197

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

The figure of tourist arrival in autumn season in 2015 was 180579 which account 19.46 % of total annual tourist flow.

In the year 2012 during the spring season about 219873 tourists were registered constituting 16.82 of total annual tourist flow. In the same season of 2013, the figure of tourist arrival was 170720 which account 14.57 % of total tourist arrival. In 2014, during the spring season about 165562 tourists were recorded and this figure accounts for 14.17 % of total tourist arrival of 2014. In the same season in 2015, the figure of tourist arrival was declined up to 101471 thereby accounts for 10.93 % of total annual tourist flow.

From the table 6.2, it has been also observed that the summer season of each year witnessed maximum tourist arrival in Kashmir. More than 60 % of the tourists visited Kashmir during the summer season because in this season, the climate in the region always remains pleasant as compared to the other states of the country where the harsh climatic conditions are found. In addition to it, the religious tourism is also at the peak in three months of summer. Similarly, winter season ranks at the second position in tourist arrival and more than 15 % of total tourist’s arrival was registered. Diversification and promotion of activities such as winter sightseeing, snow skating, skiing etc have led to increased tourists during the winter. The remainders of tourists are spread through the remaining seasons, with the spring (March to April) which accounts for at least 14 % of tourist arrival and autumn (September to October) which accounts about 9 % of tourists.

Seasonal Variation of Tourist Flow in Kashmir (2012-2015)

900000 800000 700000 600000 500000 400000 300000 200000 Number of Tourists of Number 100000 Maulana Azad0 Library, Aligarh Muslim University 2012 2013 2014 2015

Years Spring Summer Autumn Winter

Figure 6.2

198

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

6.3 Monthly Variations of Tourist flow in Kashmir

Table 6.3 depicts that there is not only a yearly variation in the tourist arrival in Kashmir but also shows a great monthly difference in the tourist flow. It has been observed that majority of tourists whether it is domestic or international mostly visiting Kashmir in the months of May, June and July. In January each year, mostly the tourists visit the Valley that are interested in winter sports like hiking, rafting, snow scatting, and other winter games. From 2010 the political uncertainty, as well as the other factors, came under control to some extent due to which tourism industry witnessed an upward trend.

Table 6.3: Monthly Variations of Tourist flow in Kashmir (2011 to 2015) Months 2011 % 2012 % 2013 % 2014 % 2015 % share share share share share from from from from from total total total total total Jan. 10469 0.79 30480 2.33 70026 5.97 20263 1.73 17524 1.89 Feb. 10976 0.83 26925 2.06 34665 2.96 21097 1.81 17062 1.84 March 34511 2.62 71091 5.43 49798 4.25 49783 4.26 26285 2.83 April 81636 6.20 148782 11.39 120922 10.32 115779 9.91 75186 8.10 May 153548 11.67 197215 15.08 157664 13.45 158210 13.55 154097 16.61 June 256973 19.53 245014 18.73 240395 20.51 289624 24.80 168108 18.12 July 373234 28.37 235041 17.97 239084 20.40 336935 28.85 120300 12.96 Aug. 99080 7.53 59764 4.57 66165 5.64 98177 8.41 78979 8.51 Sept. 71804 5.46 63214 4.83 53630 4.57 15640 1.34 58467 6.30 Oct. 117429 8.93 69195 5.29 64253 5.48 16925 1.45 65814 7.09 Nov. 57472 4.37 62197 4.75 45161 3.85 24379 2.09 64778 6.98 Dec. 48347 3.67 99132 7.58 30245 1.73 20806 1.78 81215 8.75 Total 1315479 100 1308050 100 1172008 100 1167618 100 927815 100 Source: Directorate of Tourism Kashmir (J&K) 2016

It has been observed from the table 6.3 that the tourist flow from the month of February 2011 gradually increased in Kashmir during each and every month. In 2011 10469 tourists arrived in Kashmir during the month of January while in 2012, 30480 Maulanatourists were registered Azad in theLibrary, same month and Aligarh this figure increased Muslim to 70026 University in January 2013 which decreased to 20263 in January 2014 and again declined to 17524 in January 2015. In the year 2015, the figure of tourist arrival in each and every month shows declination as compared to the previous year. This decline of tourist inflow was mainly due to the massive floods which occurred in the month of September. During the year

199

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

2011, 153548, tourists visited Kashmir in the Month of May, which increased to 256973 in June and 373234 in July in the same year. This figure of tourist arrival was 197215, 245014 and 235041 in the same months in the year 2012. In May 2013, 157664 tourists were recorded which grew up to 240395 in June and 239084 in July of the same year. In May 2014, 158210 tourists were registered in Kashmir which increased to 289624 in June and 336935 in July. During 2015, 154097 tourists visited the region in the month of May which increased to 168108 in June and reached 120300 in July. Table 6.3 also shows that the months of May, June and July each year witnessed maximum tourist arrival in Kashmir. More than 60 % of the tourists visit Kashmir during these three months because the climate always remains pleasant in the region as compared to other states and also these are the peak months for pilgrimage tourism especially for Amarnath Yatra.

Variation of Tourists in Different Months in Kashmir

(2011-2015)

400000 300000 200000 100000

Number of Tourists of Number 0 Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Months 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Figure 6.3

Percent Share of Tourists in Different Months in Kashmir (2011-2015)

40 30 20

10 Percent Share Percent Maulana0 Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Months 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Figure 6.4

200

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

6.4 Country-wise Variation in Tourist Arrival in Kashmir

Tourists from different parts of the world are always very much keen to visit Kashmir. Table 6.4 shows that the total numbers of foreign tourists visiting Kashmir in the year 2015 were 29143. The top five countries in terms of tourist arrival in the region in 2015 were Thailand, Malaysia, British, Hongkong and Germany. Thailand occupied the first rank with a maximum number of tourists visited Kashmir with the total number of 3114 which shares 10.68 percent of the total foreign tourist flow to the Kashmir in 2015. Malaysia ranked at second position with 2483 tourists and sharing 8.52 percent of tourists flow. The third place in terms of tourist arrival was taken by British and nearly 2414 tourists visited the region from British in 2015 which constituted 8.44 percent of the total. The fourth and fifth positions in terms of tourist flow to Kashmir in 2015 were occupied by Hongkong and Germany with 1814 and 1772 tourists respectively and their respective percentages were 5.91 and 3.92 from the total tourists. Besides these top five countries, USA, France, Australia, Israel, Bangladesh, S. Africa, Russia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Spain, Dutch, Indonesia, Australia and Belgium etc also contribute the major portion of tourists flow to Kashmir in 2015. Other countries, which contributed tourist arrivals in the Kashmir Valley in minor proportion, were Malta, Maroco, Syberia, Scotland, Island, Palestine, Croatia, Belrus, Maldives, Pakistan, Vietnam, Netherland etc.

So far as the seasonality of tourism is concerned, it has been also observed from the table 6.4 that the months of March, April, August, September, December and February attracted a maximum number of foreign tourists to the Kashmir. The months of March and April belongs to the spring season in which new flowers blooming and Asia’s largest tulip garden is opened for tourists that attract tourists throughout the globe and these months are the most pleasurable months of the Kashmir valley. The temperature in these months always remains below 30 0C. From the table 6.4, it has been observed that the month of April attracted the maximum number of foreign tourists to the Kashmir valley in 2015. The numbers of foreign tourists registered in Kashmir in this month were 3802, which contributed 13.0 percent of the total tourist flow to the region. In the month Maulanaof May about 1971 Azad foreign Library,tourists visited Kashmir Aligarh and constituted Muslim 6.76 percent University of total tourist arrival. While in June and July 1778 and 2256 foreign tourists were recorded in Kashmir and their percent share was 6.10 and 7.74 respectively. The month of August ranks at the second position in terms of foreign tourist reception in which 3391 tourists visited Kashmir and sharing 11.60 percent of the total tourist flow. In September 2371

201

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

foreign tourists enjoyed Kashmir Valley and constituted about 8.13 percent of total tourist flow to the region. This is the harvesting season of Kashmir when the apple which is the most popular fruit of Kashmir is harvested and is exported to different states and countries. It is the reason that these months also attracted a good share of tourist flow to Kashmir. During winter months December and February about 2490 and 3053 foreign tourists visited Kashmir in 2015 and constituted a significant percent share of 8.54 and 10.4 of the total. These are the months in which adventurous tourism is developed in Kashmir and tourists from different corners of the globe came to participate in winter games which are held every year at different places in Kashmir.

Table 6.4: Country-wise and Month-wise Breakup of the Foreign Tourists Visited Kashmir in 2015 Country Jan. Feb. Mar Apr May Jun. July Aug Sep. Oct Nov Dec Total %of . . . . . Total Thailand 55 85 450 1990 105 48 50 140 47 32 27 85 3114 10.68 Malaysia 94 590 451 339 225 40 96 66 150 140 132 160 2483 8.52 British 85 167 91 161 174 150 224 393 285 240 213 231 2414 8.28 Hongkong 147 638 224 95 59 100 93 73 97 85 79 124 1814 6.22 Germany 39 97 69 79 183 110 156 240 274 196 179 150 1772 5.91 USA 80 82 103 114 152 85 100 139 73 45 29 142 1144 3.92 France 87 85 32 58 76 65 198 196 85 75 64 59 1080 3.70 Australia 103 81 55 60 62 58 63 88 104 90 80 72 916 3.14 Israiel 4 7 9 12 44 80 196 173 96 102 99 86 908 3.11 Bangladesh 22 19 119 53 31 37 52 127 81 90 84 102 817 2.80 S. Africa 230 123 150 46 42 41 17 12 36 21 16 20 754 2.59 Russia 75 310 23 47 69 56 40 47 30 6 4 0 707 2.42 Canada 39 37 49 37 101 49 60 80 47 60 54 66 679 2.33 Italy 14 23 32 23 42 20 98 252 40 32 26 24 626 2.15 China 45 49 56 53 13 33 43 77 51 45 41 63 569 1.95 Mauritius 36 6 130 86 24 6 9 15 27 30 25 97 491 1.68 Taiwan 14 27 42 32 77 30 18 42 56 26 24 63 451 1.55 Korea 88 26 18 30 17 30 39 56 55 28 24 26 437 1.50 Singapore 13 95 68 53 9 49 17 14 45 14 10 13 400 1.37 Japan 11 13 18 23 39 30 23 80 38 42 35 31 383 1.31 Spain 20 27 15 15 42 19 36 41 48 41 35 40 379 1.30 Dutch 10 21 14 20 26 13 46 73 47 41 35 31 377 1.29 Indonesia 15 25 76 23 14 15 7 78 20 23 19 20 335 1.15 MaulanaAustralia 15 Azad 24 18 Library, 14 29 16Aligarh 41 25 Muslim23 40 32 University46 323 1.11 Belgium 6 5 8 15 13 22 98 46 27 30 32 15 317 1.09 Others 261 391 342 324 303 576 436 818 489 402 377 730 5449 18.70 Total 1608 3053 2662 3802 1971 1778 2256 3391 2371 1976 1785 2490 29143 100 Percentage 5.52 10.4 9.13 13.0 6.76 6.10 7.74 11.6 8.13 6.78 6.12 8.54 100 (%) Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

202

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

It has been observed from the table 6.4 that six months (February, March, April, August, September, December and February) contributed 61 percent of the total foreign tourist flow and remaining six months (May, June, July, October, November and January) constitutes only 39 percent of foreign tourists flow to Kashmir Valley in 2015. This is the serious concern with the Kashmir tourism with only few peak tourist months and rest are the lean months. It results in wastage of resources as hotels remain vacant for the rest of the year. Also, the people who depend on tourism have to migrate to other states to earn their livelihood. It leads to seasonal migration of labour. The movement of tourists to Kashmir in only a few months of the year also puts pressure on the resources as the region depends upon other states for food supply. It creates an acute shortage of resources leading to rise in the price of the essential goods. The other serious problem being, the pollution as sometimes the number of tourists crosses the carrying capacity of the region.

Country-wise Percent Share of Tourists in Kashmir Valley (2015)

Australia Thailand 1% Belgium Others Malaysia 11% 1% 19% 9% Dutch Indonesia Spain British 1% 1% 1% Japan 8% Singapore 1% 1% Korea Taiwan 2% 2% China Hongkong Mauritius 2% 6% 2% Italy 2% Germany Russia 6% Canada 2% USA 2% Bangladesh Israiel Australia France 4% S. Africa 3% 3% 3% 4% 3%

Figure 6.5

6.5 Spatial Dimensions of Tourism Development Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Travel and tourism sector holds a strategic position in the socio-economic development of Kashmir. This sector provides various socio-economic benefits such as growth of employment, foreign exchange and income or growth of other industries such as agriculture, handicrafts, construction, etc. in addition, investments in infrastructural

203

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

facilities for example transportation, accommodation and other tourism-related services leads to an overall development in the region.

6.5.1 Income and Revenue generation through Tourism Industry

After the introduction of various Tourism Development Authorities in 2004 by the state government, a new spirit was set up in the tourism industry of Kashmir. These Tourism Development Authorities which were established at different tourist destinations in Kashmir generated the revenue worth crores and create employment opportunities to the large number of people especially to the locals, hence boost up the economy of people of that area and also proved fruitful for the overall growth and development of the tourism industry of Kashmir (Shah, et.al, 2014).

As per the J&K Economic Survey 2011-2012, the revenue generated from various tourism departments and organisations in Kashmir was recorded as Rs 4332.68 lakhs during 2010-11 showing an increase of around 33.19 % as compared to the previous year. While as the revenue generated in the financial year 2011-12 has touched to Rs 4663.92 lakhs showing an increase of around 7.65 % as compared to previous year. The details of revenue generation from the year 2004-05 to 2011-12 are given in table 6.5.

Table 6.5: Revenue generations (in lakhs) by various Tourism Development Authorities in Kashmir (2006-12) Department/ 2004-05 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Organization Directorate of 11.46 14.83 62.06 54.00 56.65 72.63 93.30 Tourism Kashmir SKICC 46.00 49.34 64.00 71.20 65.00 110.00 114.50 Gulmarg Dev. 19.70 21.86 48.50 51.17 34.35 37.32 145.00 Authority. Pahalgam Dev. 5.12 9.16 19.00 12.73 6.68 23.40 31.00 Authority Sonamarg Dev. 0.00 13.78 32.50 45.00 39.00 79.40 10.00 Authority Royal Spring Golf 57.26 35.09 50.06 45.66 44.25 64.35 63.12 Course Cable Car 289.00 754.41 798.81 839.14 1116.00 1248.00 1957.00 Corporation J&K TDC. 1642.41 1796.44 1763 1963.00 1894.00 2697.58 2250.00 MaulanaTotal Azad2070.95 Library, 2695.29 2837.93Aligarh 3081.9 0Muslim 3255.93 4332.68 University 4663.92

Source: Economic Survey, J&K (2011-12)

It has been observed from the table 6.5 that there is a continuous increase in the revenue generation from various Tourism Development Authorities of the Kashmir

204

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

during the years 2004-05 to 2011-12. In the year 2004-05, the revenue generation from various sources has been recorded as 2070.95 lakhs which increases up to 2695.29 lakhs in 2005-06. Similarly, in the year 2006-07, about 2837.93 lakhs has been generated which rose up to 3081.9 lakhs in 2007-08. During the year 2008-09, the revenue generation marked up to 3081.9 lakhs which further touches 3255.93 lakhs in 2009-10. Similarly, in the year 2009-10, the revenue generation touched the mark of 3255.93 lakhs which shows an increasing trend of 4332.68 lakhs in 2010-11. Again in the year 2011-12, it further increased to the tone of 4663.92 lakhs.

The analysis from the table 6.5 also shows that revenue generated from Director of Tourism Kashmir has shown a continuous increasing trend and has increased from Rs 11.46 lakh in 2004-05 to Rs 93.3 lakh 2011-12. Similarly, the revenue earned from SKICC has near about doubled over the same period and the amount increased from 46 lakhs to 114.5 lakh during the same period. It further shows that except in 2009-10, income earned from Gulmarg Development Authority has also shown an upward trend and has increased by more than three times from 19.70 lakh in 2004-05 to 145 lakh in 2011-12. Similar increasing trends were also found from Pahalgam Development Authority from which income has increased from Rs 5.12 lakh in 2004-05 to Rs 31 lakh in 2011-12. The revenue earnings from Cable Car Corporation and J&K Tourism Development Corporation has also increased from Rs 676 lakhs and Rs 1765 lakhs in 2006-07 to Rs 1957 lakhs and Rs 2250 lakhs in 2011-12 respectively.

However, the analysis of the above table also shows that income from Sonamarg Development Authority and Royal Spring Golf Course has shown a discouraging trend. The revenue from Sonamarg Development Authority has decreased to Rs 10 lakh in 2011-12 after reaching at peak level Rs 79.4 lakh in 2010-11. Similarly from Royal Spring Golf Course revenue earnings has also decreased from Rs 64.35 lakh in 2010-11 to Rs 63.12 lakh in 2011-12. In the income generation J&K TDC and Cable Car Corporation figures at the top while as other Authorities have shown a linear trend in revenue generation.

Maulana Therefore Azad the estimated Library, data shown Aligarh in the table Muslim indicates that theUniversity income generated by these tourism development authorities shows a substantial increase over the years but it can be expanded further through proper maintenance of the existing tourist sites and development of new unexplored potential areas, paving way for better standard of living and thus making environment conducive for tourists.

205

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

6.5.2 Employment generation by Tourism Industry

Tourism has played a vital role in the employment creation from the past with a great potential to increase it further in the coming decades. Tourism being a labour intensive industry, its scope in employment creation is enormous and the level of investment required in it is very low as compared to the other sectors of the economy. It is a multi-segmental industry which provides employment to thousands of people particularly in Kashmir Valley, who work in hotels, guest houses, houseboats, restaurants, dak bungalows, holiday inns and tent houses etc, which further make stronger the economy of Jammu and Kashmir by increasing income and standard of living of the people. In the remote tourism places like Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Gulmarg, Aharbal etc, it is the only dominant activity that yields good income to the people (Nawaz, 2013). Table 6.6 shows the tourism-related units of Kashmir and the approximate employment provided by these units.

Table 6.6: Employment Generation through Tourism in Kashmir Name of unit Total no. of No. of Employees Total no. of registered units attached per unit Persons in Kashmir Houseboats (all Catagories) 910 7 6370 Hotel A Category 113 25 2825 Hotel B Category 138 15 2070 Hotel C & D Category 285 8 2280 Travel Agencies 861 4 3444 Guest Houses 508 8 4064 Restaurant Dhaba 306 5 1530 Tourist Guides 700 1 700 Photographers 473 1 473 Hawkers 2500 2 5000 Bathing Boats 81 1 81 Motor Boats 113 1 113 Tour Operators 5276 1 5276 Pony Keepers 9313 2 18626 Boat Shops 18 1 18 Ski Shops 650 1 650 Ski guides 21 1 21 MaulanaGolf ProfessionalAzad Library,8 Aligarh Muslim2 University16 Shikaras 4850 2 9700 Sledges Wallas 1332 1 1332 Dandiwala 482 1 484 Dry fruit Dealers 235 3 705 Total 29173 93 65778 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

206

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

6.5.3 Infrastructure Development through Tourism Industry

Tourism and infrastructure development are interrelated with each other in the sense that good infrastructure facilities, will provide the way for more and more tourism- related activities. Development of good infrastructure facilities, better sanitary conditions, better road connectivity, good quality of water supply and more intake capacity during peak tourist seasons and proper human resource development (Bhatia, 1978).

In Jammu and Kashmir particularly in Kashmir Valley, tourism is the main tool in the development of social amenities. All the major tourist destinations of the Kashmir are well maintained and connected with metallic roads, telephone services, sanitation facilities and many other facilities. The water and power supply facilities are also more regular in the place of tourism. The amenities and facilities for tourist accommodation like the construction of star hotels and other categories and the restaurant facilities to make available their food needs which generates employment opportunities to the thousands of people who work in these places and derive their livelihood. The transport facility has shown a steep growth in the Kashmir valley due to the tourism development. The Government is taking all possible methods and making all efforts to develop world- class tourism infrastructure at all tourist destinations and circuits of Jammu and Kashmir.

6.5.3.1. Growth in Road Length (excluding National highway) in J&K (in Kms).

As per economic survey 2014-15, the growth of total road length in J & K has been increased from 26032.65 Km in 2013-14 to 31921 Km in 2014-15. Table 6.7 depicts the growth of road length in Jammu & Kashmir from the year 1980-81 to 2014-15.

Table 6.7: Growth of Road Length (excluding National highway) in J&K (in Kms) Year Surfaced Unsurfaced Total Year Surfaced Unsurfaced Total 1980-81 5624 2582 8206 2004-05 13423 2049 15472 1985-86 7808 2458 10266 2005-06 13885 1883 15768 1990-91 9379 2459 11838 2006-07 14183 1996 16179 1995-96 10577 2440 13017 2007-08 15560 2808 18368 Maulana1997-98 10957 Azad 2186 Library, 13143 2008Aligarh-09 15868 Muslim3093 University18961 1999-00 11260 2279 13539 2009-10 16838 3178 20016 2000-01 11335 2325 13660 2010-11 18788.1 3030.63 21818.73 2001-02 11843 2351 14194 2011-12 20699.50 2605.15 23304.65 2002-03 12109 2749 14858 2012-13 21545.22 2577.24 24122.46 2003-04 12745 2368 15113 2013-14 21591.52 4441.13 26032.65 Source: Economic Survey (J&K), 2014-15

207

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

6.5.3.2. Transport Facility

It is often believed that the infrastructure base of a country or state may be a determinant for the attractiveness of a tourism destination. In particular, transport infrastructure which provides a vital base for transportation services is believed to be an essential element in this respect. It is the key factor for the development of tourism as it provides the link between the origin and destination areas (Lone and Rather, 2013)

The present transport setup of the Kashmir comprises of several modes of transport including road, rail and air transport. But mostly Kashmir dependent on road transport. All the districts of the region are connected with each other and with the rest of country through the well metallic and macadamized roads. However, the railway transport system in Kashmir is very poor and is operating only through the interior parts of Kashmir while work is on progress but it will still take some years for the trains to connect the region with the rest of the country. In terms of air transport, Kashmir recently got an international airport (Sheikhul Alam International Airport) that connects it to the rest of the world and hoped it will boost the foreign tourist flow (Mahapatra and Shekhawat, 2008). In Jammu and Kashmir, the traffic on the roads has increased from 621057 in 2009 to 1133077 in 2014 as shown in table 6.8.

Table: 6.8 Public and Private Transport in Jammu and Kashmir Kind of Vehicle 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Buses/ Mini buses 23917 24863 25843 26594 27717 28776 Trucks 40451 42868 45772 50253 52493 54212 Taxies 19003 21795 25779 30049 35757 39060 Private cars 145087 168871 195875 230328 265024 301449 Motor Cycles/ Scooters 363029 395840 433803 480815 530594 588207 Jeeps 11402 11601 11830 11994 12075 12615 Auto rickshaws/tempos 34672 37147 40112 43931 47670 51041 Tractors 16640 18026 19924 21960 24438 27499 Trailors 605 636 667 714 743 763 Others 13628 15931 18480 20260 24275 29455 Total 621057 737578 818093 916898 1020786 1133077 Source: Transport Commissioner, J&K, 2015. Maulana6.5.4 Growth Azad of Accommodation Library, Facility Aligarh in relation to MuslimTourism Development University Accommodation is a function of travel and development of tourism in itself is a function of accommodation. The most important factor which influences the influx of domestic as well as foreign tourists is the availability of clean, comfortable and cheap accommodation service. (Bhatia, 1971). It is a basic requirement for tourists. Analysis of

208

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

tourist spending pattern in different countries of the world reveals that approximately more than 45% of the tourism expenditure is incurred on this sector. The hotels not only provide job opportunities to thousands of people but also help in increasing states income by adding a lot of money. Hotels are in fact medium of tourism. Kashmir region as a whole used to have enough accommodation facility before the Insurgency. However, during the last three long decades of militancy, it suffered a lot leading to the destruction of infrastructure in myriad of ways. Many hotels, with no takers, were either occupied by security forces or housing for ministers and administrators. Many of them are still utilised for the same. A large number of hotels and guest houses were burned during the counterinsurgency operations down. However, with the recovery of tourism from the last few years, many establishments have been again used for the tourist accommodation (Saleem, 2013). As per data 2015 furnished from the Department of Tourism Kashmir, the year wise (1982 to 2015) growth of hotels with rooms and bed capacity in Kashmir has been shown in table 6.9. Table 6.9: Growth of Hotels in Kashmir (1982 to 2015) Year Hotels Rooms Beds 1982 95 (-) 2681 (-) 5221 (-) 1986 152 (57) 4460 (177) 8661 (3460) 1991 202 (50) 5478 (1018) 10752 (2071) 1996 209 (7) 5645 (167) 11058 (306) 2001 244 (35) 6265 (620) 12267 (1209) 2007 369 (125) NA 12325 (58) 2015 536 (167 ) 14571 28683 (16358 ) Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015. NA-Not Available

Year-wise Growth of Hotels in Kashmir (1982 to 2015)

30000

25000 20000

15000 Hotels InNumbers 10000 Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim UniversityRooms 5000 Beds 0 1982 1986 1991 1996 2001 2007 2015 Year

Figure 6.6 209

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Taking into consideration the growth of hotels in the Kashmir, it can been observed from the table 6.9 and figure 6.6 that is progressive growth in hotels in the state. In the year 1982, there were only 95 hotels registered in the tourism department with room capacity of 2681 and bed capacity of 5221. In the year 1986, the number of hotels increased up to 152 showing a growth of 57 hotels with room and bed capacity of 4460 and 8661. The growth in rooms and bed capacity being 177 and 3460 respectively. In the year 1991, the number of hotels grew up to 202 with a bed capacity of 5478 and room capacity of 10752 showing an increase of 57 hotels during this period. From 1992 to 1996 only 7 hotels were being constructed taking the number to 209 with room and bed capacity of 5645 and 1209. In the year 2001 the number of hotels in the Kashmir was 244 with room and bed capacity of 6265 and 12267. The figure increased up to 369 in 2006 showing a growth of 125 hotels with bed capacity of 12325. In the year 2015, about 536 hotels were registered with room and bed capacity of 14571 and 28683 respectively.

6.5.4.1 Category-wise distribution of all accommodation in Kashmir

The tourist satisfaction to a very large extent depends upon the quality and quantity of accommodation and other facilities. Kashmir as a whole used to have sufficient accommodation facility before the political turmoil. However, during the two and half decades of unrest, it suffered heavily leading to the devastation of infrastructure in many ways. Many hotels and dakbanglows with no takers were used by either for military establishments or lodging for ministers and administrators. Many of them are still utilised for the same. A large number of hotels, guest houses and dakbanglows were burned down during the counterinsurgency operations. However, with the recovery of the tourism sector in Kashmir, many establishments have been again used for the accommodation of tourists (IL&FS Infrastructure, 2012).

As per data furnished from the Directorate of tourism Kashmir, the total number of accommodation units in Kashmir has been given in the table 6.10. The table reveals that in Kashmir valley, there were a total of 2631 lodging units and most of which falls in the top category. Out of total accommodation units, the number of deluxe units was 413 Maulanawith room and Azad bed capacity Library, of 1199 and Aligarh2398. The number Muslim of A category University units was 257 with room and bed capacity of 5561 and 10975. About 249 units were B category having room and bed capacity of 3945 and 7769 respectively. Total number of C and other Category was 528 with room and bed capacity of 6218 and 12245. Besides these, the total number of guest houses was 691 with room and bed capacity of 8954 and 17641

210

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

respectively while as the total number of paying guest houses was 493 with room and bed capacity of 1400 and 2800.

Table 6.10: Category-wise Distribution of all Accommodation in Kashmir (2015) Accommodation No. of Units Total Rooms Total Beds Deluxe 413 1196 2392

A Category 257 5561 10975 B Category 249 3945 7769 C and other Category 528 6218 12245 Guest House 691 8954 17641 Paying Guest House 493 1400 2800 Total 2631 27274 53822 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

Category-wise Distribution of Accommodation in Kashmir

60000

50000

40000 30000

20000 Number 10000 0 Total Deluxe A B C and Guest P.G Class Class D House House Class No. of Units 2631 413 257 249 528 691 493 Total Roms 27274 1196 5561 3945 6218 8954 1400 Total Beds 53822 2392 10975 7769 12245 17641 2800

Figure 6.7

6.5.4.2 Destination-wise Distribution of Accommodation in Kashmir

Most of the accommodation facilities were concentrated in just three major resorts of Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg (Fig.6.8). Out of total 2631 accommodation units of Kashmir, 2449 units (93 %) were concentrated in these three resorts. Only 182 accommodation units (7 %) are available outside these three major resorts. Srinagar alone Maulanaconsists of 1977 Azad Units (75 %)Library, followed by Pahalgam Aligarh 312 (12 Muslim%) and Gulmarg University 159 (6 %). While as 182 units (7 %) are concentrated in other small resorts of Kashmir. From the tables 6.10, it has been seen that most of the hotels and other accommodations facilities fall in star category.

211

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Destination-wise Distribution of Accommodation in Kashmir

45000 40000 35000 30000 25000

Numbers 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Srinagar Phalgam Gulmarg Sonmarg Others No. of Units 1977 312 159 56 126 Total Roms 21427 3741 1262 452 392 Total Beds 42128 7482 2524 900 788

Figure 6.8

Srinagar

Srinagar is the main tourist node having a central location. It is the major entry point to the Kashmir valley with the only international airport of the region situated there. Even the surface transport uses it as the main influx point for the outside tourists. It has most of the accommodation facilities. Out of total accommodation units of Kashmir, more than 75 percent are available in Srinagar. Apart from the accommodation facility, Srinagar is also the main concentration centre of other infrastructure facilities.

Table 6.11: Category-wise Distribution of Hotels and Guest Houses in Srinagar (2015) Name of the Unit Number of Units No. of Rooms Total Bed capacity A Category 75 3870 7597 B Category 101 2999 5880 C and other Category 213 4522 8857 Guest House 508 7007 13736 Paying Guest House 170 680 1360 Total 1067 19078 37430 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015 Maulana Table Azad 6.11 revealed Library, that the total Aligarhnumber of hotels Muslim in Srinagar were University 389, having 11391 rooms and 22334 beds. The numbers of guest houses were 508 with room and bed capacity of 7007 and 13736 respectively while as the total number paying guest houses were 170 having 680 rooms and 1360 beds.

212

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Houseboats form an important part of accommodations in the Srinagar, out of total 910 registered houseboats in Srinagar, 310 were located in the Dal Lake, followed by Nagin Lake 93, Jhelum river 73 and Tchuntikul 32 (Department of Tourism J&K, 2015). Experience of staying in the houseboats is considered as one of the best experiences of tourists in the region.

Table 6.12: Category-wise distribution of Houseboats in Srinagar (2015) Name of the Unit Number of Units Number of Rooms Total Bed capacity Deluxe 412 1196 2392 A Category 144 360 720 B Category 111 247 494 C Category 77 171 342 D Category 166 375 750 Total 910 2349 4698 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

Table 6.12 shows that the total number of houseboats with different categories in Srinagar were 910, having 2349 rooms and 4698 beds. The numbers of deluxe categories houseboats were 412 with room and bed capacity of 1196 and 2392, while as the total number A, B, C and D category houseboats were 144, 111, 77 and 166 with bed capacity of 720, 494, 342 and 750 respectively.

Category-wise Houseboats in Srinagar

4698 Total 910 2349 2392 1196 Deluxe 412 720 A Category 360 144 494 B Category 247 111 342 C Category 171 77 750 D Category 375 166 Total Beds Total Roms No. of Units Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Figure 6.9

Pahalgam

Pahalgam is the second most important tourist destination of Kashmir, both in terms of tourist arrivals and infrastructure facility. Out of total accommodation units of

213

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Kashmir, about 312 (12 %) were available here. The total number of hotels in Pahalgam were 85, having 1934 rooms and 3868 beds. The numbers of guest houses were 159 with room and bed capacity of 1392 and 2784 respectively while as the total paying guest houses were 68 having 415 rooms and 830 beds as shown in the table (Table 6.13).

Table 6.13: Category-wise Distribution of Hotels and Guest Houses in Pahalgam (2015)

Name of the Unit Number of Units No. of Rooms Total Bed capacity A Category 13 642 1284 B Category 15 342 684 C and other Category 57 950 1900 Guest House 159 1392 2784 Paying Guest House 68 415 830 Total 312 3741 7482 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

Gulmarg

Gulmarg is the third important tourist resort within the Kashmir region. A total number of accommodation units were 159, out of which 44 were hotels, 6 guest houses and 109 paying guest houses. Total number room and bed capacity were 1262 and 2524 as shown in the table (Table 7.14).

Table 6.14: Category-wise distribution of Hotels and Guesthouses in Gulmarg (2015) Name of the Unit Number of Units No. of Rooms Total Bed capacity A Category 16 466 932 B Category 20 320 640 C and other Category 8 54 108 Guest House 6 422 844 Paying Guest House 109 - - Total 159 1262 2524 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

Sonmarg

Sonmarg is an important base for the pilgrimage tourists visiting Amarnath cave. MaulanaIt is developing Azad into a Library, very important touristAligarh place. The Muslim tourist infrastructure University is being developed, although the total number of infrastructure units available is much less than that of other resorts. From the table 6.15, it can be seen that out of total 56 accommodation units in Sonmarg, 14 were hotels with room and bed capacity of 303 and 603 respectively. The total numbers of guest houses were 11 with room and bed capacity

214

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

of 87 and 174 respectively while as the total paying guest houses were 31 having 62 rooms and 124 beds.

Table 6.15: Category-wise distribution of Hotels and guest houses in Sonmarg (2015) Name of the Unit Number of Units No. of Rooms Total Bed capacity A Category 09 223 442 B Category 01 20 40 C and other Category 4 60 120 Guest House 11 87 174 Paying Guest House 31 62 124 Total 56 452 900 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

Other Resorts

In other small tourist resorts of the Kashmir such as Aharbal, Verinag, Watlab, Manasbal Kokernag, Yusmarg, etc. tourist infrastructure, especially the accommodation units, is insignificant. Approximately less than five percent of all accommodation units were present in these resorts. From the table 6.16, it can be seen that there were a total of 126 accommodation units in various small resorts with the room and bed capacity of 392 and 788. In budgam there were 4 hotels with room and bed capacity of 103 and 199 respectively. In Aharbal, only three rooms were provided by the only guest house, renovated recently. In Yousmarg and Manasbal, there were 7 guest houses with the room and bed capacity of 46 and 103. Besides these, the total number of paying guest houses in these resorts were 115 having room and bed capacity of 243 and 486.

Table 6.16: Category-wise distribution of Hotels and guest houses in other resorts Name of the Unit Number of Units No. of Rooms Total Bed capacity A Category 0 0 0 B Category 1 17 31 C and other Category 3 86 168 Guest House 7 46 103 Paying Guest House 115 243 486 Total 126 392 788 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015 Maulana6.5.4.3 Growth Azadof Houseboats Library, in Kashmir inAligarh relation to Tourism Muslim University Houseboats are the historic, remarkable and the magnificent features of the tourism industry of Kashmir. Houseboats for the first time in Kashmir were used for accommodating tourists during the reign of King Akbar. Since then it has been incorporated and assimilated in all the policies and programmes for the promotion of

215

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

tourism sector of Kashmir. It is indeed an unparallel and unique tourism product of Kashmir located in the world famous Dal lake (Raina, 2002). The charm and glory of houseboat stay is an exceptional and unforgettable experience. Houseboat accommodation being expensive is mostly popular among foreign visitors and rich domestic tourists. Many of the tourists avail themselves of this opportunity of staying in a houseboat in Dal Lake. There are some other locations with houseboats, primarily the Nagin Lake, Jhelum River and Tchuntikul but the main area of houseboats is Dal Lake. The houseboats are situated in an area adjacent to boulevard road from Dal Lake to Maharaja Palace. These houseboats are a source of livelihood for hundreds of families who are engaged and run these houseboats (Shah and Ali, 2013).

From the table 6.17, it can be seen that with the development of tourism in Kashmir, the number of houseboats has increased over the years. In the year 1975-76, there were only 500 houseboats providing employment to 2010 people. However, the number increased up to 825 employing 3300 people in 1985-86. During this period of ten years, approximately 325 houseboats were added. The main reason behind the increase in houseboat was that this period was the known as the golden period in the history of Kashmir tourism when there was a large influx of tourists to Kashmir and large numbers of houseboats were required to accommodate the tourists. But in 1990-91 there was a decrease in the growth of houseboats and only 367 houseboats catered to the needs of the tourists. The decrease in number was mainly because this period was the birth period of insurgency and political turmoil in Kashmir. The number of tourists coming to Kashmir valley had decreased substantially. The household owners were unable to bear the expenses of maintaining the houseboats. In the year 2000-01, the number of houseboats reached to 850 employing about 8630 people. In the year 2015-16, the number of houseboats was 910 providing employment to 6370 people.

Table 6.17: Growth of Houseboats and Persons Engaged in Kashmir Year Number of Houseboats Persons Engaged 1975-76 500 2010 1980-81 740 2525 Maulana1985 Azad-86 Library, Aligarh825 Muslim3300 University 1990-91 367 3468 1995-96 395 3610 2000-01 850 8630 2005-06 750 4000 2015-16 910 6370 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

216

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Year-wise Growth of Houseboats and Persons Engaged (1975-76 to 2015-16)

6370 2015… 910 4000 2005… 750 8630 2000… 850 3610 1995… 395 3468 1990… 367 3300 1985… 825 2525 1980… 740 2010 1975… 500 Persons Engaged Number of Houseboats

Figure 6.10

Apart from houseboats, there are the taxi shikaras in which tourists sail to see and enjoy the beauties of the lake. With the improvement of the tourism sector in Kashmir, the number of taxi shikaras has also increased over the years (Shah, et.al, 2014). From the table 6.18, it has been seen that in 1975-76 the total number of taxi shikaras was only 470 and the persons engaged were 940. This figure was increased in the year 1985-86 and the number has gone up to 785 employing 1570 persons. In 1995-96 there were 1140 shikaras employing 2260 persons. This figure rose up to 2500 employing 4000 persons. In 2015- 2016 there were 4850 shikaras in which 9700 persons were working as employees.

Table 6.18: Growth of Taxi Shikaras and Persons Engaged in Kashmir Year Number of Taxi Shikaras Persons Engaged 1975-76 470 (-) 940 (-) 1980-81 642 (172) 1212 (272) 1985-86 785 (143) 1570 (358) 1990-91 1100 (315) 2200 (630) Maulana1995-96 Azad Library,1140 (40) Aligarh Muslim2260 (60) University 2000-01 1700 (560) 3375 (1115) 2005-06 2500 (800) 4000 (625) 2015-16 4850 (2350) 9700 (5700) Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir (J&K), 2015

217

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Year wise Growth of Shikars and Persons Engaged (1975-76 to 2015-16)

9700 2015-2016 4850 4000 2005-06 2500 3375 2000-01 1700 2260 1995-96 1140 2200 1990-91 1100 1570 1985-86 785 1212 1980-81 642 940 1975-76 470 Persons Engaged Number of Taxi shikaras

Figure 6.11

6.5.5 Growth of Handicraft Sector in relation to Tourism Development

Tourism plays a vital role in promoting the growth and development of handicrafts sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The state of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Kashmir valley has always enjoyed a worldwide fame and name for the exquisite quality and uniqueness of its arts and crafts. In absence of any other manufacturing industries in the region, handicrafts remained a key economic activity from time immemorial. Travellers, historian and poets have paid glowing tributes to the dexterity and skill of craftsmanship of Kashmiri (Shah, 2016). Industry like wood carving, shawls, carpet making, Namdha, paper machie, pottery, silk manufacturing, etc hold a significant share in the total production and export of the Jammu and Kashmir. This sector occupies an important position in the economic structure of Jammu and Kashmir especially Kashmir and near about 3 lakh people are dependent on it which is the major source of income of the people and it has great potential to generate more employment opportunities in future within and outside the state (Yasmin and Bhat, 2013).

Hence tourism industry promotes the handicraft sector of the state to a large Maulanaextent. It is wellAzad-known Library,fact, producing everythingAligarh has little Muslim value unless Universityand until it has consumers to consume and same is the case with handicrafts. The Kashmir offers a diversity of famous handicrafts of cottage industries products to suit the taste of a variety of tourists. The year-wise Production and Export of Handicraft Industry in Jammu and Kashmir from 2005-06 to 2015-16 has been given in the table 6.19 and 6.20.

218

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 6.19: Year-wise Production (In Crores) of Various Handicrafts Goods (2005 to 2016) Year Carpet Woolen Papier Chain Wood Other Total Shawls Machie Stich Carving Items 2005-06 425.00 310.00 30.00 26.50 14.75 93.75 900.00 2006-07 450.00 320.00 35.00 26.50 15.00 103.50 950.00 2007-08 761.27 420.58 37.92 64.69 33.59 296.54 1614.59 2008-09 561.27 254.00 34.86 51.01 - 198.86 1100.00 2009-10 564.44 249.10 35.09 41.00 16.50 94.37 1000.50 2010-11 735.10 343.10 38.32 79.28 17.35 437.15 1650.30 2011-12 776.70 520.20 72.70 188.33 62.27 195.13 1815.33 2012-13 785.44 530.60 74.15 192.09 63.51 197.42 1843.21 2013-14 684.05 631.20 141.24 - - 559.33 2015.82 2014-15 717.75 674.25 152.25 - - 630.75 2175.00 2015-16 709.45 698.05 139.52 - - 687.13 2234.15 Source: Economic Survey (J&K), 2015-16

Year-wise Production & Export of Various Handicraft Goods 2500 (2005-06 to 2015-16)

2000

1500

1000 InCrores 500 Production

0 Export

Year Figure 6.12 Table 6.20: Year-wise Export (In Crores) of Various Handicrafts Goods (2005 to 2016) Year Carpet Woolen Papier Stich Wood Other Total Shawls Machie Goods Carving Items 2005-06 325.00 220.00 27.50 25.50 12.50 94.50 705.00 2006-07 351.50 275.00 31.50 89.00 10.50 27.50 785.00 2007-08 649.02 310.29 33.65 41.76 12.40 153.35 1200.47 2008-09 326.00 226.50 41.00 81.00 - 31.00 705.50 Maulana2009-10 407.73 Azad 137.13 Library, 30.27 Aligarh31.50 13.12Muslim 41.49 University661.27 2010-11 412.45 302.00 - 77.00 36.75 175.90 1004.10 2011-12 567.13 607.03 138.24 233.60 57.94 39.43 1643.37 2012-13 455.86 620.02 104.11 237.61 69.06 51.62 1538.28 2013-14 551.90 579.72 39.96 - - 524.07 1695.65 2014-15 492.18 368.20 71.70 - - 354.96 1287.04 2015-16 293.29 376.79 24.85 - - 364.48 1059.41 Source: Economic Survey (J&K), 2015-16

219

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 6.19 and 6.20 shows that except in 2008-09, 2009-2010 and 2012-13 when there was greater political instability in the state and also flood occurred in 2014-15. The production and export generated from the handicraft industry have increased over the years. From 2005 to 2016 the growth rate of production and export of handicraft industry in Kashmir keeps on the increase or decrease depending upon the level of violence at that particular point of time. The growth rate of production has increased from 900 crores to 1614.59 crores during 2005-06 to 2007-08. In 2008-09 this figure was decreased to 1100.00 crores and further decreased to 1000.50 crores in 2009-10. Again the growth rate of production shows an increasing trend from 1650.30 crores to 2234.15 crores during the period from 2010-11 to 2015-16. Similarly, the growth rate of export has increased from 705.00 crores to 1200.47 crores during 2005-06 to 2007-08. In 2008-09 the growth rate of export was decreased to 1100.00 crores and further declined to 1000.50 crores in 2009- 10. From 2010-11 to 2013-14. the growth rate of export was again increased from 1004.10 crores to 1643.37 crores which decreased to 1538.28 crores in 2014-15 and further declined to 1059.41 in 2015-16.

The growth rate of production and export of handicraft products in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 was drastically declined and during these years handicraft sector of Kashmir got a serious loss because during this period whole Kashmir was under political turmoil and unrest due to mass mobilization. The peak tourist seasons were suspended and Kashmir remained under curfew and protests during peak tourist seasons of these years. While as in 2014-2015 the massive flood occurred in Kashmir which causes main obstacles in the development of this sector.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

220

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

References

Bhat, B. A (2014). Exploring the Socio-Economic Coordinates of Tourism: A Case of Kashmir. Journal of Business & Economic Policy, 1(1), 10.

Bhatia, A, K. (1971). Tourism in India-History and Development. Sterling Publishers Private Limited, New Delhi.

Ganai, N. (2011, January 3). Separatists got Kashmiri leaders Shot: Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, India Today, Retrieved from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/separatists- kashmir-hurriyat/1/125374.html,

Hussain, M (2000). Systematic Geography of Jammu and Kashmir, Rawat Publications Jaipur and New Delhi, 224

Lone, P. A and Rather, N.A. (2013). An Empirical Analysis of Tourist Infrastructure Quality in Jammu and Kashmir. A Journal of Radix International Educational and Research Consortium, 2(2), 5.

Mahapatra, D. A, and Shekhawat, S. (2008). The Peace Process and Prospects for Economic Reconstruction in Kashmir. Peace & Conflict Review, 3(1), 13.

Mir, H.A. (2014). Impact of Tourism Industry on Economic Development of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 5(6), 1-2

Mir, M. S. (2013). Geographical Analysis of Tourism in Kashmir, An unpublished Ph.d thesis, Department of Geography, Delhi University, 125-126.

Mohi Ud Din, T (2015). Employment and Production of Handicrafts in Jammu and Kashmir: An Economic Analysis. International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 2(1), 22.

Nawaz Ahmed, N. (2013), Potentiality of Employment Generation and Socio-Economic Development in Tourism Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2(4), 28. MaulanaNengroo and Bhat Azad G. H, (2015). Library, Economic Aligarhimpact of Tourism Muslim in Jammu and University Kashmir, European Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 4(1), 21.

Raina, A. N. (2002). Geography of Jammu & Kashmir State, Radha Krishan Anand & Co. Pacca Danga, Jammu, 16.

221

Chapter-VI Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Tourism Development in Kashmir

Shah, et.al. (2014). Role of Tourism in Income Generation and Employment in Kashmir Valley, International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research, 5(12), 2302-2303.

Shah, M and Ali, S. (2013). Houseboat- A component of Tourism Industry in Kashmir, 3rd International Conference on Business, Economics, Management and Behavioural Sciences (Hong Kong (China), 90.

Shah, M. R. (2016).An Assessment of Handicraft Sector of J&K with Reference to Central Kashmir. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review,6(5), 1-2.

Swami, P. (2000, April 1-14). The massacre at Chattisinghpora, Frontline. Retrieved from http://www.frontline.instatic/html/fl1707/17070340.htm

Yasmin, E, and Bhat, F. A. (2013). An Evaluation of Handicraft Sector of J&K- A Case study of District Budgam. European Academic Research, 1(4), 367-368.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

222

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Tourism as an important socio-economic phenomenon is characterized with distinctly largeness and dynamic development results with many positive direct as well as indirect economic effects. That is a measure for increasing the possibilities for the encouragement of general economic development through tourism development. As a result of direct economic effects, tourism indirectly contributes to increasing the quality and standard of life of the residents. Contrary to the positive economic aspects, tourism also causes unfavorable consequences, like degradation of natural resources, lifestyle distortions, socio-cultural patrimony of destination and so forth (Dimoska and Petrevska 2012). The social-economic impact of tourism can be considered as the changes both positive and negative that occur in the lives of the host population as a result of tourism activities and the contact they have with the tourists (Sawant, 2010). Therefore the tourism development in any region must be based on the concept of sustainability, which is anchored on the three main principles of socially equitable, economically bearable and ecologically sustainability for the residents of a destination (Joseph, 2003).

The present study highlights the impact of tourism on socio-economic development in the study region. Keeping in view all the limitations, purposive random sampling technique has been adopted in the study and data has been collected from the 8 developed tourist destinations viz. Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Yousmarg, Manasbal, Verinag and Aharbal. From these selected tourist destinations, 600 local respondents who were engaged with the tourism business have been surveyed. Before assessing and evaluating the impact of tourism, it is prerequisite to examine the existing socio-economic set up of the host population who were engaged with the tourism business at the selected tourist destinations of Kashmir. However, the present attempt has been made to examine the behavior of host community towards the impact of tourism on the socio-economic development considering 28 variables pertaining to 16 socio-cultural and 12 economic variables of the study area. In order to examine and evaluate all these positive as well as negative impacts of tourism, various methods such as Likert scale and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been used.

Maulana7.1 Socio-economic Azad s etLibrary, up of Local R Aligarhespondents Muslim University

Kashmir from the past few decades has attracted tourists in large numbers from all over the world. The growth of tourists in the region has resulted in the development of tourism industry which also leads to various socio-economic impacts. Therefore, in order to assess all the aspects of the socio-economic impact of tourism development, first we

223

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

need to understand the demographic particulars, the socio-economic aspects of the people involved in the tourism development. For this purpose, the aspects relating to the respondents were taken into consideration are age, sex, education, marital status, occupation and income of the respondents. With these six parameters, a profile of the selected respondents has been drawn by adopting percentages, mean, tables, etc. Each of these items is analyzed from two different angles: total-wise and category-wise.

7.1.1 Age Profile of Local Respondents

Age wise classification of the respondents is one of the major and important elements in understanding the socio-economic setup of the respondents. Age profile of the local respondents has been classified into various age groups. The number and percentage of respondents in each group has been presented in table 7.1.

Table 7.1: Age-wise classification of local respondents (N=600) Tourist Below 20 20-35 35-50 Above 50 Total Destination (In Years) (In Years) (In Years) (In Years) Srinagar 10 63 80 17 170 Pahalgam 0 48 59 20 127 Gulmarg 3 36 41 10 90 Songmarg 1 20 26 13 60 Yousmarg 4 14 18 9 45 Manasbal 5 11 20 4 40 Verinag 0 16 16 4 36 Aharbal 3 11 10 8 32 Total 26 219 270 85 600 Percentage 4.24 36.50 45.00 14.17 100.00 Source: Based on Field Survey, 2015-2016.

Age -wise Classification of Local Respondents 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40

Maulana20 Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Number Respondents of Number 0 Srinagar Phalgam Gulmarg Songmarg Aharbal Tourist Destination Total <20 20-35 35-50 >50 Figure 7.1

224

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

The classification of respondents according to age presented in table 7.1 revealed that 45 percent of the respondents were in the age group of 35-50 years followed by 36 percent in the productive age group of 20-35 years. Near about 14 percent of respondents were above 50 years of age while as only 4 percent respondents were below 20 years of age group. So the majority of the respondents engaged in tourism business were of middle-aged followed by young productive age group.

7.1.2 Sex Profile of Local Respondents

The sex profile of the local respondents is another important aspect of data collection. Sex profile of the local respondents has been classified into two groups viz. Male and Female. The number and percentage of respondents in each group has been presented in table 7.2. Table 7.2: Sex-wise classification of local respondents (N=600) Gender Group Male Female Total Srinagar 133 37 170 Pahalgam 116 11 127 Gulmarg 77 13 90 Songmarg 55 5 60 Yousmarg 41 4 45 Manasbal 30 10 40 Verinag 31 5 36 Aharbal 23 9 32 Total 506 94 600 Percentage 84.33 15.67 100.00 Source: Based on Field Survey 2015-2016.

180 Sex-wise classification of Local Respondents

160 140 120 100 80 60

40 Number ofPersons Number Maulana20 Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University 0 Srinagar Phalgam Gulmarg Songmarg Aharbal Tourist Destionation Total Male Female Figure 7.2

225

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Table 7.2, revealed that in general the percentage of male respondents were 84 percent as compared to 16 percent of females. As a result percentage of male respondents was much higher than female. So it is clear from the table that the majority of respondents engaged in tourism business or employment are males as compared to females.

7.1.3 Education Status of Local Respondents

Educational background of a respondent is a predominant factor which affects the socio-economic development of an area, especially with regard to tourism-related economic activities. Since people from different countries and from different states with different languages are involved in tourism, the educational status of the owners and the employees is a significant factor. The education status of the respondents classified according to the education obtained has been presented in Table 7.3.

Table 7.3: Educational Status of local respondents (N=600) Education Illiterate Primary Secondary Higher Professional Total Level Srinagar 21 29 76 31 14 170 Pahalgam 16 26 53 25 7 127 Gulmarg 13 22 38 15 2 90 Songmarg 11 8 29 10 2 60 Yousmarg 13 14 15 3 0 45 Manasbal 6 12 10 7 4 40 Verinag 10 7 13 6 0 36 Aharbal 9 6 9 8 0 32 Total 99 124 243 105 29 600 Percentage 16.50 20.67 40.50 17.50 4.83 100.00 Source: Based on Field Survey 2015-2016.

Educational Profile of Local Respondents

60 50 40 30 20

Maulana Persons of Number 10 Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University 0 Illitrate Primary Secondary Higher Professional Education Level Srinagar Phalgam Gulmarg Songmarg Aharbal

Figure 7.3

226

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Table 7.3 shows that in general, the majority of the respondents were well educated. Around 40 percent of the respondents were having secondary education. Another 18 percent and 5 percent were having higher and professional education respectively. Thus near about 63 percent of the respondents were well educated. Only about 16 percent of respondents were illiterate while the remaining 21 percent had their education up to primary level. So it is clear from the above table that the majority of respondents engaged in tourism business were well educated.

7.1.4 Occupational Structure of Local Respondents

Occupation structure of the respondents has been classified into govt. Service, business, farming, labourer and household and student etc. The number and percentage of respondents in each group has been presented in table 7.4.

Table 7.4: Occupational Structure of Local Respondents (N=600) Occupation Service Business Farming Household Labourer Student Total Level Srinagar 25 86 0 23 21 15 170 Pahalgam 18 87 6 10 6 0 127 Gulmarg 10 64 2 9 0 5 90 Songmarg 13 31 9 5 2 0 60 Yousmarg 4 31 0 6 4 0 45 Manasbal 7 21 4 3 2 3 40 Verinag 5 14 4 7 3 3 36 Aharbal 5 9 6 6 3 3 32 Total 87 343 31 69 41 28 600 Percentage 14.50 57.17 5.17 11.50 6.84 4.67 100.00 Source: Field Survey 2015-2016.

It has been observed from the table 7.4 that in all, about 57 percent of local respondents were engaged in business in the form of shopkeepers, houseboat owners, Shikara riders, pony riders, photographers etc. 14 percent of the local respondents were employees in different government or private jobs like hotels, restaurants, transporters or the traders. 12 percent of respondents said that they were engaged in household work. 7 Maulanapercent of Azadrespondents Library, were labours workingAligarh on daily Muslim wage basis. University 5 percent of respondents were engaged in farming activities. The remaining 4 percent were the students.

227

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

7.1.5 Income Structure of Local Respondents

Income of the respondents is another important indicator of socio-economic development and well being. To have a realistic assessment of the impact of tourism, all the selected respondents were classified according to the income groups on the basis of income ascertained from them and have been presented in table 7.5.

Table 7.5: Income Structure of Local Respondents (N=600) Income Up to 3001- 10001- 25001- >50000 Total Level 3000 10000 25000 50000 (In Rs) (In Rs) (In Rs) (In Rs) (In Rs) Srinagar 3 12 71 54 30 170 Pahalgam 0 15 59 35 18 127 Gulmarg 5 10 41 26 8 90 Songmarg 4 15 20 7 12 60 Yousmarg 2 9 19 12 3 45 Manasbal 2 7 16 9 6 40 Verinag 4 9 12 8 3 36 Aharbal 0 13 15 5 0 32 Total 20 90 253 156 80 600 Percentage 3.33 15.0 42.16 26.0 13.33 100 Source: Field Survey 2015-2016.

Income Status of local respondents

60 50 40 30 20

10 Number Respondents of Number 0 Srinagar Phalgam Gulmarg Songmarg Aharbal Tourist Destination

Up to 3000 3000-10000 10000-25000 Maulana Azad Library,Figure Aligarh 7.4 Muslim University It has been observed from the table 7.5, that 42 percent of the total respondents were in the income group of Rs 10000 to 25000 followed by 26 percent having their income between 25000 to 50000. Another 13 percent of the respondents had their income of more than Rs 50,000. 15 percent of respondents had their income between Rs 3000 to

228

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

10000. Only 3 percent of respondents having their income less than Rs 3000 and were very insignificant. Thus it could be generalized that most of the selected respondents from the eight tourist destinations were financially sound and obtaining the benefits of tourism.

7.2 Socio-cultural Impact of Tourism Development

The socio-cultural impacts of tourism have been described as the changes in the lifestyle, value system, individual behaviour, family relationship, safety level, religion, moral conduct, language, interpersonal relationship within tourism destinations that are a consequence of any kind of tourism in that destination (Wall and Matheson, 2006). Tourism has often been linked with the contact between cultures, behaviours, customs and traditions. Tourism is considered as a platform where hosts and tourists can learn better from each other, through direct interaction. Also, it requires host communities to be more responsive and educated to provide good quality services to tourists. In addition, an interaction between locals and tourists generates new ideas, values and motivations for social and economic progress (Brown, 1998).

The socio-cultural impacts affect on the local residents of host communities having a direct and indirect association with tourists. The local people tend to observe and learn the lifestyles of the tourists from prosperous societies and try to follow their way of life. Socio-cultural impacts not only benefit for the development of tourism but also the interaction between hosts and guests and promote social transformation. The speed, concentration, magnitude and direction of social impacts must be taken into account when attempting to attribute the cause of social impacts.

However the development of tourism, also cause cultural commercialization, tends to increase in crime rate, drug abuse, prostitution etc (Dar, 2015). Thus impacts of tourism on cultural and traditional lifestyles are important, where these traditions are considered on the basis of the tourism development. The impact of tourism development mainly depends upon the tourist and destination factors. The tourist factors are those which tourists bring with them to the destination, it includes social differences, Maulanademographic Azad characteristics Library, and number Aligarhof visitors. Destination Muslim factors areUniversity those factors that are part of the destination itself. It includes local acceptance of tourism, travel linkage and circulation, local vitality and leadership. In order to plan for more socially, culturally and environmentally sustainable future development, local level analyses are necessary on the ways in which communities are affected by tourism development (Malik, 2016).

229

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

7.2.1 Socio-cultural Indicators of Tourism Development

Socio-cultural indicators provide a background to understand socio-cultural growth in a region. These indicators help in identifying the linkages between the socio- cultural growth and the tourism development in a region. The various socio-cultural indicators of tourism development have been shown in table 7.6.

Table 7.6: Variables of Socio-cultural Impact of Tourism Development

S. No Variable

1. Improved standard and quality of life (SC1) 2. Improved language skills of local residents (SC2) 3. Helps people to learn new things from the tourists (SC3) 4. Helped in the renovation of historical monuments and archaeological sites (SC4) 5. Increased the demand for the preservation of traditional art and culture (SC5) 6. Creates need for separate place for parking (SC6) 7. Helped in the development of general infrastructure like hotels, roads, parks, restaurants, hospitals etc. (SC7) 8. Improved the public utility infrastructure i.e. electricity, water supply, sanitation, transport and communication (SC8) 9. Improved the quality of safety and security (SC9) 10. Increased the literacy rate and education (SC10) 11. Increased overcrowding (SC11) 12. Change in occupational structure of people (SC12) 13. Promoted crime and social evils (SC13) 14. Affected the local culture, tradition and values (SC14) 15. Created law and order problem (SC15) 16. Helps in the quality of sewage and garbage disposal (SC16)

7.2.2 Residents Perception towards the Socio-cultural Impact of Tourism Development

Maulana By using Azad factor analysis Library, application Aligarhnumbers of variables Muslim as shown Universityin table 7.6 have been converted into 4 factors. Principal Component Analysis has been used to find these factors and varimax rotation has been used for rotation. All these values obtained through factor analysis have been shown in tables given subsequently. Mean compare has been used to obtain mean values of each variable. This was used to rank the importance

230

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

of variables and to assist in the finding of the study. Mean values have been also mentioned with values of variables obtained through factor analysis in the same tables.

As shown in table 7.7, Eigen values having values more than 1.000 are taken into consideration. Therefore through factor analysis, four factors are generated. So 16 variables have been reduced into four factors. Details of factor analysis used for the analysis are illustrated with the help of tables and description has been given as:

Table: 7.7: Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis: 4 Components Extracted Initial Eigen Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Values

s Total % of Cumulative Total % of Cumulative Variance % Variance %

Component 1 5.576 34.848 34.848 4.063 25.395 25.395 2 3.905 24.407 59.255 3.860 24.126 49.520 3 2.950 18.438 77.694 3.665 22.906 72.426 4 1.961 12.259 89.952 2.804 17.526 89.952 Source: Principal Component Analysis

Values of each variable segmented under four factors are given in the following table. After clubbing values with high score, factors are entitled. All these four factors with their variable value and mean values are cited in different tables subsequently.

Table 7.8: Rotation Method; Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. a. Rotation converged in 7 iterations. Component Variables 1 2 3 4 SC1 .889 -.102 .159 .305 SC2 .790 .434 .042 -.279 SC3 .942 -.093 .026 .225 SC4 -.045 .844 .419 .023 SC5 .911 -.045 .112 .153 SC6 .314 -.418 .002 .764 SC7 .537 .830 -.053 -.049 SC8 .004 .794 .388 -.059 SC9 .811 -.376 .341 -.169 SC10 .889 -.035 .288 .265 SC11 .430 -.075 .807 -.180 MaulanaSC12 Azad Library,.012 Aligarh.044 Muslim.951 University-.095 SC13 .321 -.362 .870 .067 SC14 .558 .186 .750 .070 SC15 .401 .271 .868 -.093 SC16 .437 .166 .107 .664 Source: Rotation Method; Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.

231

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Factor: 1- Social and Cultural Growth

This factor consists of six variables which are concerned with the growth of society and culture hence this factor has been named as “Social and Cultural Growth”.

Table 7.9: Factor-1 Social and Cultural Growth S. No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 Helps people to learn new things from tourist (SC3) .942 3.37 1.09 2 Increased the demand for the preservation of .911 3.48 1.14 traditional art and culture (SC5) 3 Improved standard and quality of life (SC1) .889 3.33 1.06 4 Increased the literacy rate and education (SC10) .889 3.26 1.17 5 Improved the quality of safety and security (SC9) .811 3.34 1.22 6 Improved language skills of local residents (SC2) .790 3.42 1.08 Source: Principal Component Analysis

Table 7.9 revealed that variables like“Increased the demand for the preservation of traditional art, craft and culture and Improved language skills of local residents” are the two variables with mean values ranging between 3.40 and 4.20; suggest that these were the variables considered most influenced by the tourism development in Kashmir. Hence, these can be rated as the variables with high impact.

On the other the hand variables like “Provided a chance to local people to learn new things from tourists, Improved standard and quality of life, Increased the literacy rate and education and Improved the quality of safety and security” have mean value below 3.40 but above 2.60, therefore these variables shows the moderate impact on society caused by the tourism development in the region.

Factor: 2- Tourism and Infrastructural Development

All the three variables in this factor are concerned with the Growth and development of Infrastructure facilities; hence they have been named as “Infrastructure Development”. Maulana Table 7.10 Azad shows thatLibrary, variables like Aligarh “Helped in theMuslim development University of general infrastructure and Improved the public utility infrastructure” are the two variables with mean values ranging between 3.40 and 4.20; hence it shows that these were the variables with high impact by tourism development in Kashmir. While as the variable like “Helped in renovation and maintenance of historical monuments and archaeological sites” has mean

232

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

value below 3.40, therefore it shows the moderate impact on society caused by the tourism development in Kashmir.

Table 7.10: Factor-2: Tourism and Infrastructural Development S. No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 Helped in the renovation of historical monuments .844 3.01 1.16 and archaeological sites (SC4) 2 Helped in the development of general .830 4.03 1.14 infrastructure like hotels, roads, restaurants, hospitals etc. (SC7) 3 Improved the public utility infrastructure i.e. .794 3.85 1.20 electricity, water supply, sanitation etc. (SC8)

Factor: 3- Undesirable Social Impacts

All the five variables in this factor are concerned with the negative impacts of tourism on society; hence they have been named as “Undesirable Social Impacts”. Table 7.11 shows that variables like “Change in occupational structure of people, Promoted crime and social evils, Increased overcrowding more than the carrying capacity and Commercialization of local culture, tradition and values” are the four variables with mean values ranging between 2.60 and 3.40; hence it shows that these were the variables with moderate negative impact by tourism development in Kashmir.

On the other hand, the variable like “Tourism created law and order problem” has mean value below 2.60, which shows the low negative impact of tourism development on society. Therefore it has been proved through the analysis that there is no law and order problem created by the tourism development in the region.

Table 7.11: Factor-3 Undesirable Social Impacts S. No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 Change in occupational structure of people (SC12) .951 3.36 1.25 2 Promoted crime and social evils (SC13) .870 3.09 1.24 3 Created law and order problem (SC15) .868 2.56 1.17 4 Increased overcrowding (SC11) .807 3.39 1.12 5 Commercialization of local culture and tradition 3.21 1.17 Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim.750 University (SC14)

233

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Factor: 4- Environment Development

Both the variables in this factor are concerned with the Environment; hence they have been named as “Environment Development”. These variables have mean value more than 3.40 but less than 4.20 therefore shows high positive impact of tourism on environment quality of Kashmir.

Table 7.12: Factor-4 Environment Development S.No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 Creates need for separate place for parking (SC6) .764 3.48 1.20 2 Helps in quality of sewage and garbage disposal (SC16) .664 3.45 1.17

7.3 Economic Impact of Tourism Development

Tourism changes the economic structure of people. The economic impact of tourism is the subject of analysis in two ways. One is generally positive about industry prospects while other is negative (Phoummasak, et.al, 2014). Tourism is a vital source of capital and income to the local residents. The economic significance of tourism activity is taking place but also by the type and nature of economy being considered. Tourists spend money on a large diversity of goods and services and related tourism products.

The economic impacts of tourism more are known about the economic benefits of tourism than the associated costs. Tourism can create employment opportunities, produce return on investment for emerging economics, earn foreign exchange, bring technology and improve the standard of living. It can also help to generate jobs, increase shopping facilities and increase revenue to local people at large scale. It can cause a major impact on the economics of destination area for the price of land to rise rapidly (Mathias, et.al, (2016). Tourism development has often received support from the government as well as local residents. Therefore for the sustainable tourism development, one should take balanced perception towards the economic impacts of tourism which estimates both the benefits and cost of tourism development. Maulana Here, the Azad economic Library,impact of tourism Aligarh on the destination Muslim is understood University at the local level and mostly to understand the present status of tourism development in the Kashmir (Yousuf, 2016). Tourism is encouraged at the local level due to the ability to create employment avenues in hotels, restaurants, resorts, parks, tour operators, travel agents

234

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

and local business. It also brings changes in the lifestyle and provides support to the other sectors of the economy.

The economic impact of tourism development has been commonly viewed as a positive factor which increases total income for the host community, direct and indirect employment and tax revenues; it also supports secondary economic growth. Economist consider tourism as a “basic income” from tourism, it facilitates to pay for goods and services, imported from other regions and also a contribution to government revenues through taxes, that can be used to develop the community and infrastructural facilities and service to the asset in general economic development (Bhat, 2014).

7.3.1 Economic Indicators of Tourism Development

Economic indicators play a vital role to understand the economic growth in a region. These indicators help in identifying the linkages between economic growth and the tourism development. The various economic indicators of tourism development are shown in table 7.13. Table 7.13: Variables of Economic Impact of Tourism Development

S. No Variable

1. Increased income of local residents (EC1) 2. More employment opportunities (EC2) 3. Increased the rent of accommodation and shops (EC3) 4. Increases opportunity for shopping (EC4) 5. Increases tax revenues (EC5) 6. Creates new business opportunities (EC6) 7. Increased the cost of land and housing (EC7) 8. Increased the price of goods and services (EC8) 9. Tourism created low jobs for the locals and high jobs for non local residents (EC9) 10. Tourism created scarcity of labours in other enterprises (EC10) 11. Tourism created more seasonal jobs (EC11) Maulana12. Tourism Azadcreated scarcity Library, of essential goodsAligarh during peak Muslim season (EC12) University 7.3.2 Residents/Hosts Perception towards the Economic Impact of tourism

By using factor analysis application numbers of variables shown in the table 7.13 have been converted into 5 factors. Principal Component Analysis has been used to find these factors and varimax rotation is used for rotation. All these values obtained through 235

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

factor analysis are shown in tables given subsequently. Mean compare has been used to obtain mean values of each variable. This has been used to rank the importance of variables and to assist in the finding of the study. Mean values have also been mentioned with values of variables obtained through factor analysis in the same tables.

As shown in the table 7.14, Eigen values having values more than 1.000 are taken into consideration. Therefore through factor analysis, four factors are generated. So 12 variables have been reduced into five factors. Details of factor analysis used for the analysis are illustrated with the help of tables and description as given as:

Table: 7.14: Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis: 5 Components Extracted

Initial Eigen Rotation Sums of Squared Values Loadings

Total % of Cumulative Total % of Cumulative Variance % Variance %

Components 1 4.973 41.438 41.438 3.634 30.280 30.280 2 2.313 19.275 60.712 2.935 24.457 54.737 3 1.674 13.946 74.658 1.714 14.282 69.019 4 1.370 11.413 86.071 1.618 13.486 82.505 5 1.001 8.340 94.412 1.429 11.906 94.412 Source: Principal Component Analysis

Values of each variable segmented under five factors are given in the following table. After clubbing values with high score, factors are entitled. All these five factors with their variable value and mean values are cited in different tables subsequently.

Table 7.15: Rotation Method; Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. a. Rotation converged in 6 iterations. Indicators Component 1 2 3 4 5 EC1 .609 .264 .605 -.170 .221 EC2 .988 .044 .015 .044 -.088 EC3 .203 .965 .008 .015 .131 EC4 .199 .217 .145 .942 -.045 EC5 .404 .450 421 .409 ..507 EC6 -.016 -.044 -.005 .990 .118 MaulanaEC7 Azad.196 Library, .883 Aligarh.029 Muslim.414 University.087 EC8 .125 .885 .219 -.375 .046 EC9 .155 -.147 .919 .175 -.272 EC10 -.016 .042 .983 .022 -.082 EC11 -.012 -.124 .877 .041 -.102 EC12 -.192 .707 .171 -.299 -.310 Source: Rotation Method; Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.

236

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Factor: 1- Tourism and Community Benefits

This factor consists of two variables which are concerned with the community benefits; hence this factor has been named as “Tourism and community benefits”. Table 7.16 shows that variable like “More employment opportunities” shows a high impact on society as it has mean value more than 3.40 but less than 4.20 while as variable “Increased income and economy of local residents” has mean value 3.34, which shows a moderate impact of tourism on the economy and income of local residents of Kashmir.

Table 7.16: Factor 1- Tourism and Community Benefits S. No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 More employment opportunities (EC2) .988 3.72 1.05 2 Increased income of local residents (EC1) .609 3.34 1.06

Factor: 2- Tourism and Price Inflation of Goods and services

This factor consists of four variables which have a very close relation with the tourism development in Kashmir. It has been observed that since the development of tourism in Kashmir, there has been a fluctuation in the price and availability of various goods and services.

Table 7.17 shows that the variables like “Increased the cost of land and housing and Increased the rent of accommodation and shops” were the two variables with mean values ranging between 3.40 and 4.20; hence it shows that these were the variables with high impact on society by development of tourism in Kashmir. The variable like “Increases the price of goods and services” shows moderate impact as it has mean value in between 2.60 and 3.40, while as the variable “Creates scarcity of essential goods during peak season” shows low impact having mean value less than 2.60. Therefore this variable shows that there is no scarcity or shortage of essential goods due to the development of tourism in Kashmir valley. Table 7.17: Factor-2 Tourism and Price Inflation of Goods and Services MaulanaS.No Azad Library,Variables Aligarh MuslimValue MeanUniversity Std. dev 1 Increased the rent of accommodation and shops (EC3) .965 3.72 1.16 2 Increased the price of goods and services (EC8) .885 3.21 1.19 3 Increased the cost of land and housing (EC7) .883 4.05 1.14 4 Creates scarcity of essential goods during peak 2.59 1.08 .707 season (EC12)

237

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Factor-3 Tourism and Employment

This factor comprises of three variables all of which have a close association with the job and employment opportunities, hence it has been named as Tourism and Employment. In table 7.18, variable like “Tourism creates more seasonal jobs” shows the high impact on society as it has mean value ranging between 3.40 and 4.20. Therefore it has been observed through the analysis that at the entire tourist spots of Kashmir except Gulmarg, there is seasonal based tourism due to which during the peak tourism months people remains engaged in tourism business and rest of the year they are taking less benefit from the tourism industry.

The variables like “Created scarcity of labours in other enterprises and Creates low jobs for the local residents and high jobs for non local residents” shows low impact on the society as both the variables have mean value less than 2.60. Therefore, there is no scarcity of labours in other enterprise and tourism mostly provides employment to the local people. Table 7.18: Factor-3 Tourism and Employment S. No Variables Value Mean Std.dev Tourism created scarcity of labours in other 1 .983 2.60 1.06 enterprises (EC10) Tourism created low jobs for the local residents and 2 .919 2.49 1.04 high jobs for non locals residents (EC9) 3 Tourism created more seasonal jobs (EC11) .877 3.63 1.17

Factor-4 Tourism and New Business Opportunity

This factor comprises of two variables both of which have a close relation with the business opportunities, hence this factor has been named as “Tourism and New Business Opportunity”. Table 7.19 shows that both the variable “Increases opportunity for shopping and Creates new business opportunities” having mean value ranging between 3.40 and 4.20, therefore shows a high impact of tourism development on new business avenues. Therefore it has been analyzed that tourism development in Kashmir provides a Maulanalot of business opportunitiesAzad Library, to the people who Aligarh are engaged in Muslimvarious tourism Universitybusiness. Table 7.19: Factor-4 Tourism and New Business Opportunity S. No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 Increases opportunity for shopping (EC4) .942 3.50 1.14 2 Creates new business opportunities (EC6) .990 3.44 1.18

238

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

Factor-5 Tourism and Tax Revenues

This factor consists of a single variable which has been named as “Tourism and Tax Revenues” as it has a close connection with the tax revenues.

Table 7.20: Factor-5 Tourism and Tax Revenues S. No Variables Value Mean Std. dev 1 Increases tax revenues (EC5) .507 3.43 1.11

Table 7.20, revealed that the variable “like Increases tax revenues” shows high impact of tourism on the tax revenues as it has mean value 3.43 which clearly shows that there has been an increase in tax of various goods and services since the tourism has been developed in Kashmir.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

239

Chapter-VII Impact of Tourism on Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir

References

Agri, E. M. et.al. (2016). Diversification of Nigeria’s Economy; Impact of Tourism on Sustainable Development in Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 3(5), 38-39.

Bhat, B. A. (2014). Exploring the Socio-Economic Coordinates of Tourism: A Case of Kashmir. Journal of Business and Economic Policy, 1(1), 13.

Brown, O. (1998). In search of an appropriate form of tourism for Africa: Lessons from the and suggestions for the future. Tourism Management 19(3), 237-245.

Dar, A. A, (2015). An Empirical Analysis of Socio-Cultural Impacts of tourism on Kashmir. International Journal of Enhanced Research in Management & Computer Applications, 4(12), 33.

Dimoska, T; and Petrevska, B. (2012). Indicators for Sustainable Tourism Development in Macedonia. Conference Proceedings, First International Conference on Business, Economics and Finance, 389.

Joseph E. M (2003). The socio-economic and environmental impacts of tourism development on the Okavango Delta, north-western Botswana. Journal of Arid Environments, 54, 447-448

Malik, M. (2016). Effects of Social and Cultural Values in Hospitality and Tourism Industry. International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods, 4(9), 68-70.

Mathieson, A; and Wall, G. (2006). Tourism: Economic, Physical, and Social Impacts. New York: Longman Scientific and Technical, 227.

Phoummasak, K; et;al. (2014). The Socio-Economic Impact of Tourism and Entrepreneurs in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(12), 276-278. MaulanaSawant, M. (2010). Azad Economic Library, impacts of tourism Aligarh development: Muslim a case study University of Ajanta. Indian Journal of Management Review, 1(1), 43-47.

Yousuf, Z. (2016). Impact of Tourism on Socio-economic Development of Shikarawalas of District Srinagar: A Sociological Analysis. Journal of Kashmir for Tourism and Catering Technology, 1(7), 27.

240

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Countries and regions where the economy is driven by the tourism industry have become increasingly concerned with the environmental, as well as the socio-cultural problems associated with unsustainable tourism. As a result, there is now growing agreement on the need to promote sustainable tourism development to minimize its environmental impact and to maximize the overall socio-economic benefit at tourist destinations. Thus sustainable tourism development meets the needs of the present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunity for the future. It refers to tourist activities leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while conserving cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems (WTO, 1996). Sustainable tourism is about managing tourism‟s impacts on the environment, communities and the future economy to make sure that the effects are positive rather than negative for the benefit of future generations (English Tourism Council, 2002).

Tourism planning as evolved as it has incorporated concepts like sustainability, stakeholder‟s needs and competitiveness and leads us to the tourist destination strategic planning. The strategic planning design all future actions, policies and strategic goals through the information received from the strategic diagnosis, which is a continuous process of collecting and processing data based in the sustainable and competitive determinant factors as in the continuous “hearing” of the stakeholders along the process. This communication aims to present the contribution of the strategic diagnostic work in the design of a sustainable and competitive touristic destination.

Tourism planning should be based on actions and issues identified situational analysis which gives considerable scope for the development of tourist destinations. Also, as North West Development Agency (NWDA, 2006) points out, the planning should be coordinated in order to contribute the maximum benefit to the region, with sustainability assessment process, significant development plan process, the principal problem facing sustainability as well as an appropriate model that includes sustainability objectives. In this respect, planning should particularly define the areas of development and present Maulanamodes of cross Azad-border cooperationLibrary, in the Aligarh field of planning Muslim and development. University Planning should include the targets specific areas, the association of geographic, historical, cultural and economic resources. At the same time, planning has to be based on a balanced development of rural and urban areas and the use of physical resources through cross- border cooperation and active participation of local stakeholders in planning area.

241

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

8.1 Planning and Management of Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Kashmir with its eye-catching natural landscape, beautiful villages, mountains and rivers combined with the traditional hospitality and prevalence of peace have made this place as an absolute famous international tourist destination. In the year 2014, around 12 lakh tourists visited Kashmir and it was expected that the tourist flow may increase further in coming years if the political condition of the region remains normal (Economic Survey, 2015). Having pointed out the above success statement with unprecedented figures for Kashmir, it may be obligatory to look at the other side as well. With unexpected high tourist flow, the region‟s sustenance has seen a downward trend in its environment. The unpredicted tourist arrivals are causing a negative relationship between all environmental dimensions and tourism industry. The components of sustainable tourism development have never been on the top priority list when planning and management of tourism happen in Kashmir. The authorities seem to have ignored the notion of introducing new and updated guidelines provided by UNWTO on a regular basis about sustainable tourism development practices. The current tourism policy of Kashmir which is still being drafted has a myopic view on sustainable tourism development. However, in the entire country, a well organized and developed tourism policy and a concentrated focus on sustainable tourism development does exist (Jovica and Susic, 2014). The various efforts put forth by India include STCI (Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India), Sustainable Tourism Indicators for Hotels and Tourism Operations, Eco-tourism policy and guidelines, Market development assistance for sustainable tourism, educational programmes like seminars and workshops and others (GSTC, 2014). Such success programmes are non- existent in Kashmir valley. This eco- fragile destination is in desperate need of a well researched and well-organized tourism policy and planning which should revolve around sustainable tourism development.

A lot of research has been done on unsustainable tourism practices in Kashmir and most of them have pointed out that the level of negative impact is quite large and magnanimous which completely washes of the positives which the industry brings in. The Maulanapressure on already Azad developed Library, destinations, Aligarhnatural resources, Muslim loss of biodiversity University and harm to wildlife and habitats, etc are the major impacts of tourism on the environment in Kashmir. The tourist destinations get filled with solid wastes during and after the peak tourist season due to the heavy tourist flow (Mir, 2014). The economic benefits gained, generally pour out of the sustainable system due to leakage. The heavy flow of tourists is

242

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

having a severe impact on forests, glaciers, water sources and its implications can lead to larger crisis in future (Syed, 2012). In the peak tourist season, tonnes of solid wastes are seen lying on water bodies like Dal, Wular, Nigheen etc which finally flow in to nearby rivers (Joshi, 2011). Therefore, it can be realized that there is an enormous amount of anthropogenic pressure because of unregulated and unsustainable mass tourism in Kashmir. The carrying capacity of main tourist destinations in the Kashmir either has exceeded the limits or is on the brink of exhausting the limits (Gadoo and Sofi, 2014).

8.1.1 Enhancing Carrying Capacity of Existing Tourist Destinations

Carrying capacity is one of the most important concepts to deal with the trade-offs between environmental conservation and tourism development (Butler, 1996). It occupies an important position with regard to sustainable tourism (Tribe, et, al. 2000). According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO, 1996), the carrying capacity of a tourist destination is the maximum number of people who may visit to a tourist destination at the same time, without causing damage to the physical, economic and socio-cultural environment and an unacceptable decline in the quality of the visitor‟s satisfaction. It is the highest bearing capacity of a natural, socio-economic and environmental system beyond which facilities are saturated (physical carrying capacity), the environment is degraded (environmental carrying capacity) or tourist enjoyment is reduced (perceptual or psychological carrying capacity) (Pearce, 1989).

Therefore, the growing socio-cultural and environmental impact of tourism has necessitated assessing the tourism carrying capacity which could serve as an important input for devising a planning strategy towards the regulation of tourist flow. The Assessment of Tourism Carrying Capacity is based on three indicators:

1. Physico-ecological: These indicators are either fixed (ecological capacity and assimilative capacity) or they can be flexible (infrastructure systems like water supply, electricity, transportation etc.). 2. Socio-demographic: The indicators refer to social and demographic issues and Maulanaimportance Azad to local communities, Library, as they Aligarh are related to Muslimthe growth of tourism. University 3. Political-economic: These indicators include the impacts of tourism on local economic structures, activities and competition with other sectors of the economy.

Every tourist place, anywhere in the world supports a limited number of tourists up to its saturation level beyond which it loses its charm and attraction. Similar is the case

243

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

with the tourist destinations of Kashmir. However, based on the above given indicators and utilising the Tourist Carrying Capacity Analysis, (IL&FS Infrastructure, 2012) has calculated the carrying capacity of some of the important tourist destinations of Kashmir as shown in Table 8.1. According to the report by IL&FS Infrastructure (2012), the existing tourist destinations like world famous winter hill resort Gulmarg, Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens namely Nishat and Shalimar have crossed their saturation limit of their respective carrying capacities which is evident by the existing loads of these tourist destinations. Thus, any further addition of inflow of tourists to these tourist spots will prove harmful for their physical and ecological health.

Table 8.1: Destination-Wise Carrying Capacity Analysis of Kashmir Destination Existing Carrying Available Estimated Available Load Capacity Daily Load Daily (2010) Capacity (2020) Capacity (Persons) (Persons) 2010 2020 Dal Lake 23,667 16,659 22,980 46,248 -6,963 Hazratbal Shrine 31,204 2,925 37,046 48,456 19,794 Shalimar Garden 12,682 4,784 76 15,577 -2,819 Nishat Garden 16,868 6,143 -488 20,684 -4,304 Cheshma Shahi 1,325 6,563 38,050 2,513 18,695 Dachigam National Park 131 342 554 248 437 Gulmarg 9093 11250 2157 23190 -11940 Wular Lake 3646 60275 96812 7191 93268 Sonmarg 5170 67500 62330 13002 54498 Manasbal Lake 4376 16439 23022 8629 18769 Tangmarg 2553 15000 117447 6,810 1,13,190 Source: IL&FS Infrastructure, 2012

In Gulmarg, the existing carrying capacity is almost exhausted and if the trend continues then in 2020 it will cross the limit of sustainable development. The tourist resort of Gulmarg falls short of its carrying capacity in 2020 by 11,940 tourists. The reason behind this is that Gulmarg is a hot spot of tourism especially during the peak winter season as a skiing resort. Therefore, to deal with this alarming situation, it has been Maulanasuggested that theAzad pressure Library, on Gulmarg‟s Aligarhsensitive ecosystem Muslim can be decreased University by developing Tangmarg at the base (5km) and especially Drang (in Tangmarg) as an alternative tourist destination for developing the basic infrastructure of accommodation and other services. Thus, the unsustainable exploitation of this highly eco-sensitive spot can be prevented.

244

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Similarly, the carrying capacity of Dal Lake is also exhausted and will fall short of its carrying capacity in 2020 by 6,963 tourists. This is due to that Dal Lake is probably the most sold tourist destination of Kashmir valley and hence attract a huge flow of local, domestic and foreign tourists. The carrying capacity of Dal Lake can be enhanced to accommodate the more tourists by developing the Lakefront on the eastern and western edges. This will develop not only the lakefront and preserve it from further encroachments but also enhance the carrying capacity. The department of tourism also needs to regulate houseboat operations in Dal Lake as per its carrying capacity and disperse it to Wular, Manasbal and Anchar Lakes.

The table 8.1 also shows that the carrying capacity of Mughal Gardens (Nishat and Shalimar) get exhausted during the peak seasons and will fall short of its carrying capacity by 2,819 and 4,304 tourists in 2020. Therefore, the carrying capacity of Mughal Gardens can be enhanced to accommodate the more tourists by restricting the dwell time of each visitor to one hour. Thus, by doing this an additional carrying capacity would be made available at Nishat Garden and Shalimar Garden respectively.

In contrast to it, there are various other destinations like Wular Lake, Manasbal Lake, Cheshma Shahi Garden, Botanical Garden and Tangmarg etc. which have huge tourism potential and excess carrying capacities left that could be exploited. This is primarily because these destinations do not attract many visitors due to the lack of necessary basic tourist infrastructure and familiarity amongst the tourists. Therefore, it has been recommended that the necessary basic tourist infrastructure should be developed in these untapped sites, so that they are explored by the tourists to bring down the pressure on other tourist resorts (Gadoo, et., al, 2014).

8.1.2 Strategic Model for the Development and Promotion of Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourism is an enthusiasm based activity where an adventurist is ready to face a high and low level of challenges and risks (Walle, 1997). The unusual, wildness, exotic or remote places are the main attractions for the adventure tourism activities, where Maulanathe adventurist Azad explores Library, new areas and Aligarh expects the unexpected Muslim results (Varley,University 2006). This type of tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry and turned out to be an immense business opportunity throughout the globe. However, in Kashmir adventure tourism is at the initial stage of development. The region which is full of natural treasure offers great opportunities to the adventurists to explore the wonderful

245

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

exotic Himalayan ranges and landscapes, in addition, to facing the challenges of fast flowing rivers (Bano, and Aima, 2012). The maximum adventure tourism resources are virgin in Kashmir; their exploitation could not only meet the demand of tourist‟s especially foreign tourists but also help to enhance the business opportunities for local people in the region (Zurick, 1992). Thus, it is very important to give special attention towards the development and promotion of adventure tourism in Kashmir.

Therefore in order to achieve the desired overall development of adventure tourism sector, various strategies must be followed to market the brand Kashmir at the global level. The proposed model as illustrated below is based on research findings so that same could be considered by the tourism planners of Kashmir, so that Adventure as a recreational pursuit in the region could become preferred destination choice for both domestic as well as international tourists. In this regard, it is very important that up gradation of the infrastructure and equipment customized of Adventure tourism has to be created and maintained as per internationally standards. Since this type of tourism is essentially favourite among the high-end spenders and younger strata of tourist access and availability of support services of all the service providers in the chain has to be organized in a synchronized manner to ensure delivery of highest values to the recipients (Weber, 2001). In the context of Kashmir, infrastructure and its development are the major requirements at different tourist sites to promote adventure tourism to generate a high inflow of the tourists. Professional destinations management and adequacy of resources must be so channelized that it is impossible to offer a portfolio of varied adventure destination choices for sustained competitive advantage. Tourism development strategies must also include legitimate concerns about issues which impact sustainability and carrying capacity of destination regions by focusing on the environment, local stakeholders and its cultural ethos and ethical marketing practices and encourage economic spin-off for the local population (Woollven, et., al., 2007). Thus for evolving a holistic perspective on planning and promotion of tourism for Kashmir, there has to be a synthesis of different competing and conflicting interest of different stakeholders.

Maulana The proposed Azad model Library, illustrates the flo Aligarhw and networking Muslim required to be University established among different stakeholders for promotion and development of adventure tourism besides ensuring that local people are factored in planning, execution and maintaining of Adventure destinations. This would ensure that the economic benefits also percolate to the grassroots level of beneficiaries. People participation at the local level would make

246

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

the development process uncomplicated since these locals would feel a sense of ownership and empowered to participate in decision-making (Uriely, et., al, 2002). It is also important to formulate creative and innovative marketing policies and practices which highlight a diversified and reliable portfolio of tourism products especially of Adventure tourism.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR STATE

Strategic Focus

Local people Improve Destination Improve Revenue Participation Facilities and Marketing Protection for Adventure Tourism Policy Development Resources

Economic Benefits Upliftment of Environmental Demographic Factors Benefits

Strong Management Policy

Development and Promotion of Adventure Tourism

Fig. 8.1: Strategic Model for the Development and Promotion of Adventure Tourism in Kashmir Prepared by Researcher

From the above model, it can be visualized that tourism planning has to be based on multiple linkages and executed in a phased manner. From inception to the ultimate Maulanadelivery of Azad services to Library, recipients, Adventure Aligarh destinations Muslim need to be University embedded on participative mode thereby reducing the exclusive government control and interference. Revenue generation of a specific site must be properly pooled and channeled back towards improving the overall appearance of the area and the attractions facilities. Participation of local stakeholders would, in the long run, create an in-house professional

247

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

pool of competencies and expertise besides ensuring quality support services as a back- end operation outside the domain of government control. The figure 8.1 above has proposed recommendations which incorporate long-term benefits to local stakeholders in terms of economic benefits accompanied by demographic dividends and environmental sustainability. An innovative and effective management policy has to oversee result oriented operational logistics and temporal interventions which build the reputation and visibility of Adventure sites both at domestic and global tourism map. Adoption of above proposed model would in the long run help to promote adventure tourism industry of the region so that it can compete with other adventure destinations locally and internationally.

8.1.3 Promotion and Development of Wetland Tourism

Wetlands are the most productive and dynamic ecosystem of the world. The wetlands change over time and may function differently from season to season and from year to year. Every wetland is unique in itself and contributes to the overall health of the environment. Earlier wetlands were considered as merely wastelands. However, their economic, social and ecological importance has been increasingly recognized and these are now considered as “wealth lands” and biological supermarkets (Ansari and Oseni, 2012). They are mainly valued because of their location on the landscape, the uniqueness of their plant and animal communities, aesthetic and educational traits and locations of archaeological and historical sites. They are also significant in reducing environmental problems like algal Blooms, dead zones and fish kills and functioning as sediment traps and carbon sinks. Besides, they act like efficient sewage treatment plants by absorbing chemicals, breaking down solids, filtering pollutants and neutralizing pathogens (Novitzki, et.al, 2016). Thus, wetlands play a vital role in our quality of life and indeed in our survival. In order to protect these wetlands, the public must first recognize the values of wetlands. There is also a need to understand what is lost when a wetland is changed into agricultural fields, a parking lot, a housing development or a dump.

8.1.3.1 Distribution of Wetlands in Kashmir Maulana Kashmir Azadlies in the Library,womb of Himalayas. Aligarh It is transverse Muslim mainly by riverUniversity Jhelum that arises within the Pir Panjal Ranges from Verinag Spring near Qazigund Anantnag and flows towards North-West for 992 km. Before merging with the Chenab and subsequently into Indus River, it finally drains into the Arabian Sea. However, most of the wetlands are found in and around the Jhelum basin in the heart of Kashmir (Fig. 8.2).

248

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

According to the National Wetland Atlas of J&K, Ministry of Environment and Forest, 2010, two types of wetlands- Inland (Natural) and Inland (Manmade) are observed in Jammu and Kashmir and most of them are of glacial origin and mainly associated with the riverine system. Under the inland-Natural wetlands, riverine wetlands and the lakes are of utmost significance. The riverine wetlands are found in comparatively lower elevation areas (Altitude <3000 meters) and many of these wetlands harbour vegetation. The districts of Baramulla, Bandipora, Gandrbal, Srinagar and Anantnag are some of the major districts having the prominence of riverine wetlands. The Wular, Dal, Nigeen, Manasbal and Hokersar are some of the well-known lakes of this category. The major man-made wetland types are the reservoirs, ponds etc. In the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir, there are only 4 of this type of wetlands (Wetlands International, 2007).

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Source: National Wetland Atlas of J&K Figure 8.2

249

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

8.1.3.2 Problems of Wetland Ecosystem in Kashmir

Almost every wetland of Kashmir has been the victim of environment degradation. The degree of threats and problem, however, vary from wetland to wetland but more is pronounced in urban wetlands and water bodies like the famous Dal Lake and Anchar Lake. The wetlands of Kashmir are fast deteriorating on account of uncontrolled urbanization, expansion of agricultural land and above all careless attitude and negligence of people towards them (Chandan, et, al, 2007). Field observation has revealed that these ecosystems are facing problems both from natural as well as anthropogenic causes which are discussed as:

Problems of Wetland Ecosystems in Kashmir

Natural Anthropogenic

Solid Waste Disposal and Pollution Weed Infection Population Pressure Eutrophication Land use and Habitation Erosion and Siltation Maulana Azad Library, AligarhEncroachment Muslim University Modification of Catchment Area

Source: Wetlands International - South Asia, New Delhi, 2007. Modified by Researcher Figure 8.3

250

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

8.1.3.2.1. Natural Problems

Natural problems comprise of problems like Weed Infection, Eutrophication, Erosion and Siltation.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is the process of increasing the botanical productivity rates of weeds in the aquatic ecosystem. It gains momentum with its age. At the same time, eutrophication undermines the faunal capacity of the wetlands due to increased floral activity and the resultant decrease in the dissolved oxygen levels. Thus, eutrophication is a process of enhancing the floral growth of weeds and undermining the faunal growth of fish in the wetlands.

Almost all the wetlands of Kashmir are under the severe threat of eutrophication primarily on account of the untreated wastewater effluents, excessive fertilizer inputs and use of soaps and detergents in their respective catchment areas. A substantial amount of nitrogen is applied to the farmlands in the form of manures and fertilizers in the hinterlands of Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Manasbal Lake, Hokersar Lake and Anchar Lake. A significant fraction of this agricultural nitrogen is used for plant growth and the surplus nitrogen gets either accumulated in soil or migrates from the land surface into lower lands or water bodies. Besides, people use flowing water of rivers and streams like Jhelum and its tributaries as convenient waste water disposal system which also leads to their high productivity and consequent eutrophication.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 24: Excessive Eutrophication in Wular Lake

251

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Erosion and Siltation

Siltation is intrinsically linked to the erosion of top soil by wind and rain action and accelerated by land use and land cover changes in the catchment. However, despite being a valuable resource, top soil also contains nutrients which can negatively alter the balance of freshwater ecosystem. The surface runoff from the catchment of wetlands like Dal, Hokersar, Manasbal and Anchar Lakes results in the loss of the fertile top soil and their consequent siltation. The surface runoff of Dal Lake catchment has been estimated to be 185 million/cubic meter. Similarly, the gross sediment yield has been estimated as 1,84,476 tons/year and the net sediment yield of 60,877 tons/year. (DPR AHEC- ROORKEE, 2000).. Thus wetland sediments which act as the storehouse of the pollutants can be the important source of internal pollution loads.

Weed Infection

Wetlands are particularly susceptible to weeds. The shallow lakes like Dal, Hokarsar and Anchar are susceptible to excessive weed growth and biological activities as the sunlight penetrates into the entire depth of 2-3 meters of these wetlands and make the thermal environment conducive for the growth of weeds. Hardly any water area is there where weeds have not covered the surface in these lakes. In order to curb the menace of weed infection, two Rolobo harvesters were purchased by the government of Jammu and Kashmir. However, because of increasing nutrients load and various pressures of encroachment and siltation etc. the weed started to grow luxuriantly again and started to increase in their density and coverage (LAWDA, J&K).

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Photo Plate 25: Excessive Weed Infection in Anchar Lake

252

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

8.1.3.2.2 Anthropogenic Problems

Wetlands of Kashmir Valley are the worst hit by the anthropogenic interference and threats so much so that most of them have disappeared completely and some are at the verge of extinction. Some of the main anthropogenic threats include encroachments, pollution, population pressure and modification of catchment area of wetlands

Land use and Habitation Encroachment

Encroachment has been the main threat to the wetlands of Kashmir Valley with the two major lakes that is the Dal Lake and Wular Lake shrinking to almost half of their size in the last five decades. The massive habitations around the Wular Lake are mainly due to the expansion of arable fields for paddy cultivation. Whereas those in and around Dal Lake are for housing and vegetable gardens. The Dal Lake traditionally held floating gardens, made from dug up weeds of the lake, along with its north-western side (Habib and Yousuf, 2013). These have not only increased in size but also the older ones have been reformed into permanent settlements. The consequences of wetland encroachments are also visible in the Anchar Lake and Hokarsar Lake. A major portion of these wetlands has turned into residential colonies and the remaining portion has turned into swamps.

Photo Plate 26: Encroachment in Hokarsar Lake MaulanaSolid Waste Azad Disposal and Library, Pollution Aligarh Muslim University Wetlands of Kashmir are mainly polluted through solid wastes, organic and inorganic pollutants. The solid wastes comprise of non-biodegradable materials like polythene and plastic which are dumped into the wetlands by the tourists and the local people. Most of the human habitations which are settled in and around the wetlands are

253

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

the epicenter of organic wastes and night soil which gets dumped directly into these wetlands (Quadri and Yousuf, 2007). Besides, hotels and other resorts mushrooming around wetlands like Dal Lake also discharge the night soil into these wetlands in absence proper drainage network. Moreover, houseboats also create organic pollution through their direct discharge of organic waste into the lake. In addition to the solid and organic pollutants, the chemical fertilizers and pesticides produced from the surrounding agricultural lands of Dal, Wular, Hokarsar, Manasbal and Anchar Lakes run directly into these wetlands which increase their toxicity and further deteriorates the health of wetlands.

Photo Plate 27: Local Garbage and Wastes Damping in Manasbal and Anchar Lake

Population Pressure

The increasing pressure of population growth is one of the significant Maulanaanthropogenic factorsAzad responsible Library, for the deteriorating Aligarh the wetlands Muslim of Kashmir University Valley. The population of Jammu and Kashmir has increased from 1,01,43,700 in 2001 to 1,25,48,926 in 2011. This tremendous increase of population by around 23.71 percent since last decade has resulted in the growth of both rural as well as the urban population of the state. Thus, not only the rapid urbanization that has increased by 27.21 percent in

254

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

the corresponding period but also the problems of substantial poverty, informal settlement intensive sedimentation from the river Jhelum besides large scale willow plantation in and around it by locals as well as by the state government. The case of smaller wetlands of Kashmir Valley isn‟t different. Anchar Lake has been a victim of medical wastes and the consequent eutrophication largely from the Valley‟s largest Medical Institute, Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura Srinagar besides the immense urban pressure. The other two wetlands of Hokersar and Manasbal are also dying up due gluttonous exploitation of invaluable lake resources, expansion of agricultural fields and changing land use and land cover. Their conservation and management on a war footing is the need of the hour.

8.1.3.3 Sustainable Management of Wetlands in Kashmir

After an exhaustive description of the problems of wetlands of Kashmir Valley, it was observed that these ecosystems have great environmental, ecological, social and economic significance. Almost all the wetlands, large or small sustain a wide variety of life forms; provide a wide range of valuable products and a large number of people sustain their livelihood by making use of them. As a result of their intensive exploitation, these beautiful habitats are on the verge of extinction. Some are rapidly changing into wastelands while others are in a dying state. Their health is in danger and these are facing a bleak future because of human interference and their negligence.

The micro level intensive studies of all the major (Wular and Dal) and small (Anchar, Hokarsar and Manasbal) wetland ecosystem of Kashmir Valley have revealed that they are under severe threats and some are on the verge of extinction. They are facing the problems of eutrophication, siltation, weed infestation, pollution and over- exploitation. It is supposed that the world famous Dal Lake will soon be no more because of the intensive urban land use pressure from its catchment area, huge tourist flow that has saturated its carrying capacity and a tremendous influx of domestic and municipal wastes into it. Similarly, Wular Lake is also showing the negative signs of intensive sedimentation from river Jhelum besides large scale willow plantation in and around it by Maulanalocals as well Azad as by the stateLibrary, government. AligarhThe case of smaller Muslim wetlands of KashmirUniversity Valley isn‟t different. Anchar Lake has been a victim of medical waste and consequent eutrophication largely from the Valley‟s largest Medical Institute, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura besides the immense urban pressure. The other wetlands of Hokersar and Manasbal are also dying up due gluttonous exploitation of

255

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

the invaluable lake resources, expansion of agricultural fields and changing land use and land cover. Thus, these ecosystems demand immediate preservation. Their conservation and management on a war footing is the need of the hour.

Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems

Ecosystem Sustainable Resource Institutional Community Conservation Development and Development Awareness and Participation Livelihood

 Fisheries  Catchment  Establishment  Communication Area Development Development Education and Conservation  Economic Authorities Public  Efficient Utilization of  Capacity Awareness Water Aquatic Building  Community Management Vegetation  Monitoring Participation  Biodiversity  Livelihood and and Conservation Improvement Evaluation Celebration of  Development Wetland Days of Tourism

Figure 8.4: Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Kashmir

Prepared by Researcher

In this part, an attempt has been made to suggest suitable measures for the management of wetlands ecosystem of Kashmir Valley. This has been provided under four subheadings. In the first component, measures for the Ecosystem Conservation have been provided and the second component Sustainable Resource Development and Livelihood Improvement measures have been given. Similarly, the third component of Maulanamanagement has Azad dealt with Library, Institutional DevelopmentAligarh and Muslim the last component University has focussed on the Community participation.

256

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

8.1.3.3.1 Ecosystem Conservation

The conservation of Ecosystem will focus on the Catchment area conservation, Water management efficiency, Biodiversity conservation and Development of Tourism.

Catchment Area Conservation

The catchment area of river Jhelum which is the life of Kashmir Valley is divided into 24 sub-catchments or watersheds which form a complex pattern of drainage networks. This hilly catchment on both the sides of river Jhelum is highly dissected, broken and erodible which leads to ever increasing situation siltation in the river as well as in the wetlands like Wular Lake, Dal Lake, Hokarsar, Anchar and Manasbal Lake lying in its basin. Thus, appropriate catchment management and conservation plan with the objective of checking erosion and siltation and bringing down the sediment plan.

Efficient Water Management

This component includes enhancing water holding capacity and improving quality of water of wetlands of Kashmir Valley.

1. Enhancing Water Holding Capacity

Water holding capacity of wetlands of Kashmir Valley and their channels can be enhanced through dredging and de-weeding, removal of barriers and construction of silt detention basins.

 Dredging and De-weeding of Wetlands and Water Channels

In order to improve hydrology of the wetlands, their dredging and de-weeding is necessary. The field observation has revealed that most of the outflowing and inflowing channels of Kashmir Valley wetland like Nullah Amir Khan of Dal Lake, Doodhganga of Hokersar, Sind River of Anchar Lake and Ningli outfall channel of Wular Lake are silted immensely and choked with weeds which affect not only their water circulation but also the overall water holding capacity. Thus, the silt and the unwanted weeds should be dredged out both from the wetlands beds and from their inflow or outflow channels. MaulanaSome of the Azadareas that are Library, in dire need of dredgingAligarh comprise Muslim Bud Dal and HazratbalUniversity Basin of Dal Lake, Northern-easten area of Wular Lake from Banyari to Garoora, whole Hokarsar and Northern area of Anchar Lake near the mouth of river Sind. Likewise, the inlet and oulet channels and the peripherial areas of Hokarsar, Anchar, Dal, Wular and

257

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Manasbal Lake need to be de-weeded and dredged material should not be used in the agricultural fields in order to improve the fertility of the land.

 Removal of Barriers

Barriers like Ningli plantation along the Wular Lake occupying around 28 sq. Km of land needs to be removed. This will help in improving water level by at least one meter which is of utmost significance in enhancing water holding capacity and restoring the biodiversity of the wetland. Similarly, removal of almost 48,000 Dal dwellers from the Dal Lake is phases will also enhance water holding capacity and improve the overall quality of this water body.

 Construction of silt Detection Basins

A huge amount of sediments get added to the wetlands of Kashmir valley through the inflow of rivers which leads to the reduction of their water depth, in order to reduce the sediment load, detention basins should be constructed on the mouth of rivers like Doodhganga, Erin, Madumati and Sind Kundangarand Sarwar, 1997). One such basin has been constructed on the mouth of Telbal Nallah that flows into the Dal lake but that is unable to retain sediment load beyond 42 percent. Thus the maintenance of already constructed detention basins should also be taken into account.

2. Water Quality Improvement

The quality of water of the wetland ecosystem can be improved by Construction of low-cost sanitation units, Implantation of Jhelum River Conservation Plan and Community based solid waste management plan.

 Construction of low-cost Sanitation Units

Due to the poor or non-existent sanitation facilities in the neighboring villages around the Dal, Wular, Anchar, Hokersar and Manasbal Lakes, garbage solid waste in various forms finds its way into the water bodies and makes water unfit for human or domestic use. Thus sewage generated from the peripheral villages of different wetlands Maulanashould be intercepted Azad using Library,low-cost Sanitation Aligarh Units as per WorldMuslim Health Organizatio Universityn's design which comprises twin leaching pits with pour flush latrines. This will surely reduce leaching of nutrients in and around the Wetlands of Kashmir Valley.

258

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

 Implantation of Jhelum River Conservation Plan

State Pollution Control Board monitors water quality at only 10 stations in the whole Kashmir region which covers mainly Srinagar and Anantnag Districts. The downstream of Srinagar including Wular has been neglected totally despite the fact that after Srinagar and Anantnag, the maximum solid and liquid wastes get discharged from Sopore and Baramulla. Thus Jammu and Kashmir State Government should formulate Jhelum River Conservation Plan to include all these important locations.

 Community Based Solid Waste Management Plan.

The solid waste generated from the human settlement within the Wetlands like Dal Lake and Wular Lake and on their periphery is one of the significant contributing factors for the degradation of the Wetlands (AHEC Roorkee, 2000). Thus solid waste gets generated immensely in the whole catchment area of Jhelum but its management system isn‟t well organized. It is, therefore, required to develop community-based solid waste management plan for all the peripheral villages of Kashmir Valley Wetlands. This would require the construction of waste collection centers at a common location which should be provided with community bins and garbage gobblers etc. Moreover, especially design carriages should be operated through community-based organizations or N.G.O‟S (Non- Government Organization) for the collection of waste from individual households.

Biodiversity Conservation

This component includes conservation of water birds and wildlife and management of aquatic vegetation.

1. Water Birds Conservation

This will focus on inventory and assessment of water birds, strengthening the existing network of protected areas, control of poaching, establishment of new bird sanctuaries and monitoring and research.

 Inventory and Assessment of Water Birds

Maulana This Azad proposes carrying Library, out of inventory Aligarh and rigorous Muslim assessment Universityof the diversity of water birds, hydrological regimes and impact of human activities on the survival of water birds. These studies should be undertaken by an expert research agency with the support of concerned state agencies and departments.

259

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

 Strengthening Existing Network of Protected Areas

Protected areas can be strengthened by restoration of habitats and rehabilitation of threatened species. Habitat restoration of wetlands and their inflow/outflow channels can play an important role in the manipulation of water level as per the requirement of different species and rehabilitation of threatened or rare species will enhance the number of water birds. It can be undertaken by identifying potential areas of habitats that may be improved or restored to increase the carrying capacity of water birds. Secondly, plantation of certain native food crops like Trapa Natas (Nadru) will provide nesting sites as well as food for the visiting migrants and in the long run will attract and sustain a larger population of water birds to the wetlands. Thus, a detailed inventory of each wetland ecosystem should be carried out and habitat maps should be prepared.

 Control over Poaching

In order to control the over poaching activity, protection staff should be strengthened and bird committees should be framed. These committees could play an important role in raising the awareness and shifting the attitude of poachers who could be provided some economic incentives such as habitat restoration and involved in the conservation of wetland ecosystem.

 Establishment of New Bird Sanctuaries

Besides Hokarsar Lake, which is a protected area in Jhelum basin and declared as bird sanctuary by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, all other wetlands and associated water bodies (except Haigam) are unprotected areas and are being used for agriculture, construction of settlements and various other purposes, which is a matter of grave concern and needs to be addressed. Thus, declaration of these wetlands especially Malgam to Saderkote, Bala to Ajas as bird sanctuaries should be made in order to provide legal status to their protection and conservation.

 Monitoring and Research Maulana Information Azad on waterbirds Library, and their Aligarhhabitat is mainly Muslim collected by the University University of Kashmir and State Wildlife Department. These agencies should undertake a detailed assessment and research of current water bird composition and abundance, breeding concentration of species, migratory flyways, habitat improvement studies, water birds health and their relationship to different wetlands. The information collected and developed from the monitoring and research of all these aspects of water birds should 260

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

enable realistic estimates of their population, the trend and pattern to be developed and should provide guidance for their management. This work needs to be undertaken by a team of well trained and equipped staff.

2. Wildlife Conservation

Biodiversity conservation would also focus on conservation of wildlife within and outside the protected areas of Jhelum basin. This will include demarcation of new wildlife sanctuaries withing Vishav, Bringi, Erin and Pohru catchments, construction of rescue and rehabilitation centers at strategic locations, fencing existing sanctuaries, construction of a breeding center for Hangul, Pheasants and Musk Deer at suitable locations like Chatternat and Bandipora. There is a need for improvisation of infrastructure for land transport and patrolling and provision of compensation for conflict between man and animals.

3. Management of Aquatic Vegetation

This component of biodiversity management should focus on optimization of economically important plant species through enhancement of water level, control of invasive plant species through effective flushing of lakes and maintenance and regeneration of wetlands to enhance their ecological role. Aquatic vegetation is very sensitive to changes in water levels and plant communities stabilize in accordance with the profile of water depth. Thus, increasing the level of water by one meter will have a profound impact on the establishment of vegetation belts in different areas. Secondly, enhancing flushing rate and preventing stagnation of water would prevent the growth of invasive plant species like Azolla. Moreover, manipulation of water level would be economically and ecologically feasible.

Development of Tourism

Sound Ecotourism and wetland tourism need to be developed to remove minimal impacts on the environment and maximize visitor‟s opportunities to enjoy the beauty of wetlands and their biodiversity. This may include the development of recreational Maulanafacilities, visitors Azad educational Library, facilities and Aligarh facilities for the Muslim development ofUniversity infrastructure.

 Development of Recreational Facilities

This component will be focussing on the development of road walks and nature trails, guided boat rides, watchtowers, angling sports, landscape gardens and improving

261

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

sports facilities. The road walks and nature trails will give the visiting tourists a chance to breathe in fresh air and enjoy the peaceful environment of Wular, Manasbal and the adjoining lakes. Guided boat rides shall be arranged for nature lovers to help them explore different aspects of Wular, Manasbal, Hokersar, Anchar and associated lakes. For the benefit of day visitors as well as organized groups and school or college students, watch towers should be proposed and entries to these locations should be charged normally. Similarly, angling sports and landscape gardens should be developed around Manasbal Lake and at Hajin and Ningli shores. In addition to this, facilities for sports like parasailing, pedal boating and wind sailing should be developed at Wular and Manasbal shores near Laharwalpora, Garoora, Sderkote and Gratbal.

 Development of Visitors Awareness Facilities

Education and interpretation services constitute an important aspect of visitors experience in the natural environment. Plans for awareness generation among visitors regarding the functions and values of wetlands ecosystem of Kashmir Valley should be designed keeping in mind the different target groups like foreign tourists, local youth, school children, fishermen, planners and decision makers. Visitor interpretation centers should be developed at Hokersar, Manasbal, Hajin, Bandipora and Sopore with the facilities for an exhibition of posters and models depicting ecosystems, food chains and food webs as well as viewing gallery depicting ecological, cultural and socio-economic dimensions of wetlands. Moreover, hydrological models of Wetlands of Jhelum basins, children‟s play areas, auditorium and souvenir shops displaying Wetland products, Wetland biodiversity replicas, photographs, reading materials and maps should be made available for the visitors to take away with them on some nominal charges.

 Development of Tourist Infrastructure

Infrastructure development constitutes the backbone of the tourism industry of Kashmir valley. The provisions of easy access, clean accommodation, convenient local travel and opportunities for relaxation and entertainment determine the popularity of a Maulanatourist destination. Azad In order Library, to promote ecologically Aligarh friendly Muslim tourism, it is necessaryUniversity to ensure good communication and transportation facilities including telephone and internet services to enable people to stay connected while on a visit. Secondly, present accommodation facilities in an around Kashmir Valley wetlands are not adequate. There is need to construct rest houses at main locations like at Manasbal, Hokersar, Wtlab and

262

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Garoora etc. The accommodation for tourists must be clean, comfortable and affordable along the lines of log huts or tents instead of permanent multi-storied buildings. Thirdly, emphasis should be laid on the development of good signage boards at important places like entry gates, sites of historical importance and high biodiversity and dangerous places etc with clear-cut messages.

8.1.3.3.2 Sustainable Resource Development and Livelihood Improvement

This comprises another significant dimension of management of wetland ecosystems of Kashmir Valley and involves Sustainable fisheries development, Economic utilization of aquatic vegetation and Livelihood improvement.

Sustainable Fisheries Development

The major aspect of this component includes enhancement of fish yield through the development of fish culture at captive fisheries, improvement of fish harvesting and post-harvesting infrastructure and strengthening of fish cooperative societies for collective ownership and management of fisheries through a community-driven process.

1. Enhancement of Schizothorax Fish Seed farms

Commercially important Schizothorax species of fish are fast dwindling in the Wetlands of Kashmir Valley which needs to be protected by the establishment of fish seed farms in the catchments of all the major tributaries of Jhelum River like Vishaw, Bringi, Lidder, Mashumati, Erin, Sind, and Pohru.

2. Improvement of Fish Harvesting and Post Harvesting Infrastructure

This comprises strengthening of landing centers, provision of improved gears and crafts, enhancing the storage capacity of live fish and post-harvesting management. Since Wular lake alone accounts for 60 percent of the fish production of Kashmir Valley, there exist 9 landing centres around it at S.K Colony, Ningli-Bala, Lankrishpora, Kulhama, Kehnus, Ashtangoo, Watlab, Sopore-Ghat and Laharwalpora which needs to be strengthen for collection and provision of post-harvesting infrastructure and quick Maulanatransportation Azad facilities Library, for captive fisheries. Aligarh This canMuslim be achieved University through the construction of boat jetties and landing sheds for storing fish catch and equipments. Secondly, motorized boats and insulated vans are required for faster transportation of fish catch to the distant markets of Srinagar, Bijbehara, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian, Kupwara and Baramulla. Postharvest measures would comprise construction of ice plants

263

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

at Watlab, Sopore and Banyari as well as establishment of fish processing units at Laharwalpora and value-added techniques like canning, fish curring and pickling.

3. Strengthening of Fish Cooperative Societies

Fish Farm Cooperatives (FFC) should be established for designing and implementation of sustainable development programs for fisheries in order to achieve all- round progress in this sector. Besides it, there is an utmost need for the development of a fisheries policy for J&K State to ensure management of fisheries at basin level.

Economic Utilization of Aquatic Vegetation

Several floral species are used for manufacturing of mats and rags and weaving of baskets and fire pots. The yield from the cultivation of trapa (water chestnut) is further processed and transported through a chain of middlemen and finally sold in the market of Srinagar, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla etc. Thus, there is need to organize the enterprise units in lakeshore villages of all the Wetlands of Jhelum basin on the basis of aquatic vegetation which should be registered as a society.

Livelihood Improvement

This comprises of providing an alternate source of income generation to the surrounding communities of Wetlands for the diversification of their livelihood and reduction of their vulnerability to natural changes that exist in the form of depleting lake resources.

8.1.3.3.3 Institutional Development

This component focuses on the Establishment of Wetland Development Authorities, Capacity Building and Monitoring and Evaluation Aspect of Management.

Establishment of Wetland Development Authorities

The lone development authority of Wetland functioning completely in Kashmir Valley is Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), located at Srinagar. This authority is responsible for the management of Dal and Nigeen Lakes only. Thus Maulanadevelopment authorities Azad for Library, Wular, Manasbal, Aligarh Hokersar, MuslimAnchar and other University smaller wetland ecosystems which are at the verge of extinction should be established under the administrative control of the department of wildlife protection, department of forest, department of irrigation and flood control etc. of the state government. Their main objective should be undertaking the improvement of the concerned Wetland along with

264

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

the development of fisheries, agriculture, tourism and rural development with the concerned state government agencies.

Capacity Building

Capacity building of all the concerned development authorities, state government and local communities should be undertaken through professional training in integrated and sustainable Wetland management. Moreover, necessary infrastructure such as adequate staff, technical hands, communication equipments and networking of offices should be provided for the effective functioning of these development authorities.

Monitoring and Evaluation

This consists of the establishment of Wetland monitoring laboratories and Monitoring the effectiveness of management plans.

1. Establishment of Wetland Monitoring Laboratories

Lake monitoring laboratories should be established at Dal Gate, Nishat, Soibug, Soura, Gratbal, Bandipora, Watlab and Sopore for monitoring the hydrological and ecological dimensions of the Wetlands and the consequent changes out of the implementation of various developmental activities. These laboratories should be assisted through a network of field stations established within the catchment areas of all the major and minor Wetlands.

2. Management Action Plan Monitoring

This holds utmost significance in monitoring the effectiveness of implementation of a management plan and in suggesting necessary corrections and rectifications as and when required. This should essentially carry out through an independent agency by utilizing a methodology which is very transparent and makes sure the involvement of local communities as well.

8.1.3.3.3 Community Awareness and Participation

This comprises one of the most significant but mostly ignored aspects of Maulanamanagement Azad of Wetland Library, Ecosystems. ThisAligarh focuses on Muslim communicating, University educating and disseminating information and awareness among the common people as well as celebrating and organizing some important days for the management of wetlands of Kashmir Valley.

265

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Communication, Education and Public Awareness

This will generate awareness about the activities carried out under various management plans and sensitize the common people at various levels about the need for the conservation and management of wetland ecosystems. The main activities to be carried out may include organizing nature camps, rallies and marathons run as well as developing resource materials like pamphlets, brochures, posters and education kits etc. to highlight the sustainable development of these ecosystems and need for their conservation and management.

Community Participation and Promotion of Wetlands

In order to implement any developmental or management plan, people‟s participation holds utmost importance as these are the first-hand informers who are well acquainted and informed about various aspects and dimensions of these ecosystems. Moreover, World Wetland day and other special occasions like Wular Day or Manasbal Day or Kashmir Wetlands Day should be promoted annually and local people should become the part and parcel of these promotions.

8.1.4 Development of Major Tourist Nodes and Circuits

The Kashmir Valley has identified some major tourist nodes and tourist circuits, which are famous tourist destinations in terms of natural beauty and tourist attraction. These tourist circuits and nodes are playing a significant role in the economy and employment creation for the local people to which they belong. The region has the fortune of being endowed by famous circuits belonging to different religious thoughts. Above all, a circuit route has been established all along the places related to natural beauty (Raza and Mohammad, 1978). However, the tourist destinations of Kashmir Valley could be defined and categorized into five distinct circuits such as:

(i) Pahalgam-Sonmarg Circuit

(ii) Gulmarg-Tangmarg-Khilanmarg Circuit Maulana(iii) Dal Lake-Shalimar Azad-Dacchigam Library, and Chasme Aligarh- Shahi Muslim University (iv) Gurez,-Wadi- lolab and Pohru River

(v) Verinag-Kokernag-Daksum and Achabal

266

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

These tourist nodes and circuits have enormous potential for future development by connecting them with each other with the road network. The tourist nodes which are not well maintained and connected are creating hurdles for the tourists. The tourists visiting Tangmarg and Khilanmarg have firstly visit Gulmarg. Thus a direct connectivity to these tourist sites is necessary to shorten the distance and for future tourism development in these areas. Similarly, connectivity between Gulmarg, Khilanmarg and Aharbal will also enhance the tourism in the Aharbal area. The tourist visiting to the Aharbal tourist spot are facing problems because firstly they have to return to Srinagar from Gulmarg and through Anantnag to visit Aharbal. Therefore, a direct connectivity is required between Gulmarg and Aharbal on the one hand and Srinagar to Aharbal on the other to reduce the long-distance problem of tourists.

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

Source: Moonis, Raza and Ali Mohammad, 1978.

Figure 8.5

267

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Besides, Gulmarg, Khilanmar and Tangmarg, tourist circuit can be connected directly with Pahalgam, Anantnag, Kokernag, Verinag and Matton tourist circuit. The major problem is that due to lack of proper connectivity of these tourist nodes and circuits due to which the tourists have to return to Srinagar first to visit other tourist sites. So, all the tourist nodes and circuits need to be connected with each other in such a way that it becomes easy and comfortable for the tourist to visit each and every tourist spot without returning to the base. The Lolab Valley, Pohru river area, and Gurez Valley also need to be well connected with the Bangus Valley, Gulmarg and its adjoining areas on one side and Sonmarg and its adjoining areas on the on the other hand. By connecting these tourist nodes and circuits with each other, the tourism would get momentum which would help these areas to generate employment and economic activities (Ahmed, 2013).

8.1.5 Development and Promotion of Religious Tourism

Kashmir Valley has been the seat of reference to all the major religions of the world. It is an important center for many religious events of international standard. However, after the decline of Vedic culture in the Kashmir, this region accepted Buddhism. Later Buddhist missionaries from this region moved into Tibet, China ending up in Mongolia and Japan carrying the message of peace and social wellbeing. The fall of Buddhism brought the Vaishnav thought through Shankaracharya and the people accepted the Hinduism. When Islam came, it was originally accepted for its refined thoughts before Islam acquired a vicious reputation. The end result has been that the region is replanted with a vast number of pilgrimage sites venerated by various religion followers.

The Kashmiri Pandits who are followers of Lord Shiva have their own venerated places of worship but two holy spots held a great preference for the ordinary religious tourists for this region. A large number of Hindu pilgrims visits the Vaishno Devi Temple situated above a small town Katra in Jammu region during the year. The same followers again in the monsoon time undertake journeys on foot to the sacred Amarnath caves located in the vicinity of the famous tourist destination of Pahalgam. The flow of pilgrimage tourists to these two pilgrimage sites is so overwhelming that it has Maulanacreated serious problemsAzad of Library, population management. Aligarh Table 8.2Muslim shows the rapid University increase in pilgrimage tourist traffic to the Amarnath Cave despite the fact that the region suffered heavily from insurgency and law and order problems.

268

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Table 8.2: Year-wise No. of Pilgrimage Tourists to Amarnath Cave (1991-2014) Year No. of Yatris to Year No. of Yatris to Amarnath Cave Amarnath Cave 1991 15599 2003 153314 1992 54638 2004 400000 1993 56000 2005 388000 1994 37000 2006 265000 1995 60000 2007 213565 1996 120000 2008 498198 1997 79035 2009 373419 1998 149920 2010 458212 1999 114366 2011 635660 2000 173334 2012 621104 2001 119037 2013 353969 2002 110793 2014 372909 Source: Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir, J&K, 2015.

However, the pilgrimage tourists in Kashmir has remained restricted to the annual Amarnath Yatra which is being now seen as more political than religious. Apart from the famous pilgrimage site of Amarnath Cave, there is an abundance of other sacred pilgrimage sites located at different places of Kashmir, which are not still exploited and utilized. These sites if developed and managed properly can attract pilgrimage tourist in large numbers. Therefore, the need of the hour is to pay more attention towards the abundant religious sites in the region for the promotion of religious tourism. Three sites in particular, namely, the Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tula-Mula, Charaar-e-Shareef at Yusmarg and Baba Reshi Shrine below Gulmarg, should hold our urgent attention.

Following the movement of Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) out of the Kashmir Valley into other parts of the country due to the birth of insurgency in 1989, nearly 3 lakh Kashmiri Pandits are no more living in the Kashmir Valley and are unlikely to return in their native places. They would still consider undertaking annual pilgrimage to their holy pilgrimage sites and a visit to Kheer Bhawani Temple would be central to their pilgrims. The shrine of Kheer Bhawani lies in the vicinity of Srinagar city and Manasbal Lake. So Maulanait will open aAzad new perspective Library, for developing Aligarh and promoting Muslim a pilgrim cir cuitUniversity in the Sindh Valley, which will cover „Srinagar- Kheer Bhawani-Manasbal circuit‟.Therefore, there are ample opportunities to promote tourism based on sustainable practices in the said circuit (Bhat and Shyju, 2014). The Department of Tourism Jammu and Kashmir needs now to formulate a proper plan to organize the Kheer Bhawani pilgrimage by opening

269

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

reception centers in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Amritsar and create facilities to the visitors to come to the Shrine.

The Muslim shrine of Charaar-e-Shareef in Budgam district, following the incident of its burning down, has caught the fancy of even the non-believers and the newly constructed shrine should now be developed as a pilgrimage tourist spot for Muslim devotees as well as the non-Muslim Indian tourists. The vicinity of the Charaar- e-Shareef Shrine requires to be properly designing, developing, new gardens laid out and the approach road to the shrine required to be upgraded and widened as suitable to international standards of road construction. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir need to carry out a survey of the common area of Yusmarg including the Charaar-e- Shareef shrine site and design a developmental plan to attract tourists and trades which may provide support services to tourism in this area. This should be undertaken by a team of experts of various denominations in the industry and their proposed plan should be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism. The State government should also indicate the share of expenditure it proposes to allocate for developmental activities.

Another Pilgrimage site which is known as “Baba Reshi shrine” is considered as one of the most sacred Muslim pilgrimage site located near Gulmarg famous tourist resort in the Kashmir Valley. Each year at auspicious days devotees both Hindus as well as Muslims come in large numbers and pays homage to the Sufi saint. There are many current problems associated with the religious shrine which needs the proper attention for future tourism development. Therefore, in view of these problems, the government should allocate separate funds for the development and restoration of Baba Rashi Shrine to attract more tourists and which may provide support services to tourism in this area. The main road which connects the Baba Rashi pilgrimage site with the Gulmarg meadows requires to be widened to allow for a double carriage. It also needs proper electrification. The area around the shrine needs to be redesigned to create more open spaces and parks for the worshipers to move around. There should also have a primary health center, proper public drinking water facilities and the shrine structure itself requires extensive Maulanarenovation. Besides Azad these, Library,the religious shrineAligarh of Baba Muslim Reshi should beUniversity properly publicized in tourist literature for future.

Inspite of all such considerations, there is a serious concern that for future, the problem of increasing number of the worshipers trekking to Amarnath Cave will pose serious problems of tourist safety, environmental degradation and logistics. Around 4

270

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

lakh pilgrims visited Amaranth Cave in 2014 (Directorate of Tourism, J&K) and it was expected that the number will increase further in coming years. The area may not bear this heavy load of the human population. The State Government should now seriously take steps to normalize the pilgrim flow to the Amaranth shrine and a system of registration of pilgrims should now be considered to phase out the sudden rush witnessed periodically. Therefore, an expert group should be constituted and various studies initiated so that options for future work can be identified. Again, acceptable restrictions on the increasing number of religious tourists to Amarnath Cave should be imposed in consultation with the Amarnath Shrine Board and other concerned agencies.

The threat of turmoil in the region has already created its own problem and fear among the people who wish to reach holy Amarnath Cave. The area has been kept out of bound for 10 months of the year. With the result that during the months of July and August alone, there is a heavy flow of pilgrimage tourists to these places. The ecology of the area is very delicate and creates its own problems. The most pressing problems related to providing logistic support and proper public sanitation. Because of the temporary nature and short duration of the pilgrimage each year, no permanent structure has been constructed so far which could be used round the year and at best-camping facilities for visitors have been put on the ground. Therefore, in view of heavy tourist flow particularly during two months, the area should be open to trekking for a period of five months instead of present two months and this period should be from May to September and a system of registration for trekkers be evolved who would like to walk to Amarnath Cave in the odd season which excludes the months of July and August. The last 15 kilometers distance from Amarnath Cave should be declared as a protective reserve where no permanent construction activities should be done except the concrete path.

Besides these, a pilgrim tax needs to be imposed for future on all visitors who are moving into the controlled areas. In the case of Amarnath Yatra, the pilgrim tax should be imposed beyond Chandanwari once the journey is started. Money realized from such pilgrim tax should be utilized in improving the micro-economies of the local villagers. MaulanaSome part ofAzad the money Library, should be given Aligarh to the local village Muslim panchayats University identified for such benefit and part of the money be earmarked for the maintenance of public services which aid the pilgrims to move more comfortably.

271

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Pilgrimage Tourism

Outcome

Overall Development

Peace Communal Community Local Harmony Participation Employment

Figure 8.5: Proposed Model for Development of Religious Tourism in Kashmir Prepared by Researcher

Therefore, it is prime duty of the government agencies to come out with a tourism policy for the promotion and development of sustainable pilgrimage tourism in Kashmir. Adequate measures are required for the publicity of tourism with thrust on local art and craft by developing traditional markets in the tourist villages of Kashmir. This will not only alleviate the problem of unemployment but will also help in the promotion of culture and tradition of the region which is the cornerstone of pluralism (Bhat and Shyju, 2015)

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

272

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

References

Ansai, A. H and Oseni, U. A. (2012). Wetlands and Global Warming. Impacts Adaptation and Mitigation: Developing Countries Perspective. Serials Publication, New Delhi-11002.

Bano, F, and Aima, A. (2012). Adventure Tourism Potential: A Study of Kashmir. International Journal of Research in Commerce, IT & Management. 2(9), 2231- 5756.

Bhat, I. A, and Shyju, P. J. (2015). Pilgrimage Tourism in Sindh Valley: A Case Study of Kheer Bhawani Shrine. South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage, 8(2), 65.

Butler, R.W. (1996). The concept of carrying capacity for tourist destinations: Dead or merely buried? Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2(3), 283-292.

Chandan, P, et;al. (2007). Management Planning of Himalayan High Altitude Wetlands. A Case Study of Tsomoriri and Tsokar Wetlands in Ladakh, India. Proceedings of Taal 2007 The 12th World Lake Conference, 1451.

Department of Wildlife Protection Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir. (2007). Comprehensive Management Action Plan for Wular Lake, Kashmir. Wetlands International-South Asia, 7-8.

Digest and Statistics, (2015). Economic Survey, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

English Tourism Council (2002). English Tourism Council Definition, on: Desti Net Sustainable Tourism Information Portal: Aims and Definitions.

Gadoo, et;al, (2014) Measuring the Sustainable Tourism Development of Kashmir, European Academic Research, 2(3), 134-143. MaulanaHabib, S and Azad A. R. Yousuf, Library, A. R (2013). Aligarh Influence of harvestingMuslim on associated University macro faunal community of Hazratbal basin of Dal lake in Kashmir Himalayas. International Journal of Advanced Research, 1(9), 142-147.

273

Chapter-Viii Diagnostic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kashmir

Jovica M. J and Susic, V. (2014). Planning Models of Sustainable Tourism Development Destination. International Scientific Conference, The Financial and Real Economy: Towards Growth, 120-121.

Kundangar, M. R. D and Sarwar, S. G. (1997). Dal Lake, Kashmir. A report Sponsored by Environmental Engineering Department, J&K Government.

Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, (2015). Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Mir, J. J. (2014). Environmental Security and Sustainability in Kashmir. Dissertation Report, Sikkim University, India.

Novitzki, R. P; Smith, R. D, and Fretwell, J. D. (2016). Restoration, Creation, and Recovery of Wetlands. Retrieved from http//water.usgs.gov//nwsum/ Wsp2425/fu nctions.html.

Pearce, D. (1989). Tourist development (2nd ed.). Essex: Longman.

Quadri, H, and Yousuf, A, R (2007). Dal Lake Ecosystem: Conservation Strategies and Problems. Proceeding of Taal 2007, the 12th World lake Conference, 1453-1457.

Raza, M, and Mohammad, A. (1978), The Valley of Kashmir. The land, Vikas Publication, New Delhi.

Syed, A. (2012). Playing with Nature, Kashmir Life, Srinagar, J&K India.

Tribe, J, et.al. (2000), Environmental management for rural tourism and recreation. London: Cassell.

Uriely, N., et; al (2002). Rescuing Hikers in Israel‟s Deserts: Community Altruism or an Extension of Adventure Tourism. Journal of Leisure Research, 34(1), 25-36.

Varley, P. (2006). Confecting Adventure and Playing with Meaning: The Adventure Commodification Continuum. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 11, 173-194.

Walle, A. H. (1997). Pursuing Risk or Insight: Marketing Adventures. Annals of Tourism Research, 24, 265–282

MaulanaWeber, K. (2001). Azad Outdoor adventureLibrary, Tourism. Aligarh Annals of Tourism Muslim Research, 28(2),University 360.

Woollven, R; Allison, P and Higgins, P. (2007). Perception and Reception: The Introduction of Licensing of Adventure Activities in Great Britain. Journal of Experiential Education, 30(1), 1-20.

274

Conclusion and Suggestions

Conclusion

After foregoing analysis regarding the problems and prospects of tourism industry in Kashmir, it has been observed that tourism industry is the life line of Kashmir. It opens up a new window for resources, both investment and revenue generation leading to employment creation as well as the socio-economic development of the local population. It will continue to be a significant contributor in future also because of the changes taking place on both demand and supply sides. It would be possible only if the conflict situation in the region will remain normal and the tourist influx increases in the desired manner. In addition to it, the organisations mainly responsible for the development of tourism like, Directorate of Tourism (J&K) and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) are able to beautify and maintain the existing tourist sites by facilitating better and affordable facilities to the tourists in the form of better infrastructure, better sanitary conditions, decent entertainment opportunities and proper security measures which are presently lacking. The study shows that although this industry has registered an all round significant development but after the birth of insurgency in the region, this sector has not flourished as expected. Most of the potential for its growth, has not yet been exploited and much more is left to be undertaken for retaining, maintaining and sustaining it.

Therefore, the current research has been undertaken to make the garland of tourism attraction of Kashmir more colourful and attractive by exploiting the rich treasure of tourism potential of Kashmir and also to tackle the issues that are hampering its awareness. The study has focused on the working of various tourism-related organizations and has evaluated their performance in execution the management functions at the tourist spots of the Kashmir. Field survey, interviews and discussions have been conducted with the tourists, locals who are engaged with the tourism business and the employees of the tourism department at the eight developed tourist destinations. It helped a lot in exploring and tracing out the real picture of the tourism industry of Kashmir. Maulana Kashmir Azad is the epitomeLibrary, of natural Aligarh beauty that surpasses Muslim any other University region in the whole world. Its reservoirs of tourist attractions such as snow covered peaks, beautiful lakes, green meadows, Mughal gardens, pleasant climate, hot springs etc. are unparalleled both in its antiquity on man‟s magnificent creations and the unique natural scenic splendour. Apart from natural beauty, this region is dotted with several religious sites and other historical monuments which are important determinants of tourism development in

275

Conclusion and Suggestions

Kashmir. Besides this, the culture and tradition of Kashmir is unique and unparallel throughout the world. The collections of songs, music, dance, theatre, folk traditions, performing arts, rites and rituals, paintings and writings that are known, as the „Intangible Cultural Heritage‟ of humanity also plays a significant role in the tourism industry of Kashmir. The region offers the maximum opportunities of enjoyment, entertainment, adventure and travel. But the tourist flow has remained confined to the golden triangle of Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg, although there are much more natural, cultural and pilgrimage tourism attractions spread throughout the region which need proper care and maintenance for utilization and exploitation. But the apathy of the concerned agencies in managing and highlighting these tourist attractions causes a serious setback to the tourism sector of Kashmir to a large extent. Due to the lack of services available at these destinations, most of the tourists though have eager desire yet are avoiding visiting such spots as they cannot bear the attending difficulties involved in the visit.

The foregoing research highlights that this industry has registered an all round significant development in Kashmir. However, after the birth of insurgency and mass uprising in the region, the tourism sector has not flourished as expected. The entire workforce in the tourism industry was thrown out of jobs and the infrastructure which had been developed over last 40 years started disintegrating. Kashmir has not been able to harness its abundant tourist potential despite the vastness variety and richness of the tourist destination found here. It also faces the problem of having only a few popular tourist spots and circuits and has not been able to popularise its lesser known tourist destinations. There has been a severe setback to the tourism industry on account of militancy in the region resulting in the downfall of the tourist traffic and damage and destruction caused to its property. Thus the limited and rather unsatisfactory growth of tourism industry in Kashmir is mostly because of conflicting environment prevailing in the region. In addition to it, there are also some other factors which have limited the growth of tourism in Kashmir such as inadequate airline capacity particularly during the peak tourist season, bad conditions of airport, lack of hygienic and comfortable Maulanaaccommodation Azadfor the tourists, Library, limited tourist Aligarh destinations, Muslim lack of railway Universitynetwork in the region, bad condition of roads, absence of an up to date information systems to the tourists outside the state, lack of an integrated tourism policy in the state. Another major factor inhibiting the growth of tourism is the seasonality of the industry with the busy season being limited to few months.

276

Conclusion and Suggestions

However, among all these problems, insurgency and political instability in the region are the major challenges which not only destroyed the tourism sector of Kashmir but also laid a havoc impact on other sectors associated with the tourism. Till 1989, tourism has been the major economic activity and an important contributor in the region in terms of employment creation, revenue generation etc. However, following the outbreak of militancy in the region, this sector has adversely affected since the past three decades. It has also affected the economic stability, employment opportunities of its people and the allied sectors associated with the tourism industry. This continuous conflict environment in which thousands of innocent Kashmiris lost their lives affects the overall development of tourism in Kashmir.

In the preceding years of insurgency, Kashmir had recorded an overwhelming response from the tourists both domestic and foreign. But with the out broke of militancy in the region in 1989, there was a sharp decline of tourist arrival. The situation remained almost continuous during the nineties depending upon the violence at that particular period of time. Tourist arrival was remarkable 7.21 lakh in 1987 and 7.22 lakhs in 1988 but after 1988 this sector has received a serious setback and the number of tourists decreased up to 5.5 lakh in 1989. This figure came down to only 10,722 in 1990. In 1991 there was a drastic dip in the tourism sector of Kashmir because only 6287 tourists visited to the region, thereby causing this industry a serious jolt. The tourist influx declined considerably up to 2002 during tourism sector suffered heavily due to the insurgency.

Although with the improvement in the security scenario, the influx of tourists from 2003-2007 has registered an improvement to some extent. The flow of tourists started increasing steadily and in 2003 near about 191164 tourists visited the valley. This figure increased in 2004 and approximately 376729 tourists came to Kashmir and enjoyed the beauty of nature. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the influx of tourists was higher than previous years and 603582 (2005), 432888 (2006), 441836 (2007) of tourists were registered. But after 2007, there was again a serious jolt to the tourism sector, because in 2008 and 2010 the whole Kashmir was under the violence and Valley remained shut Maulanadown and underAzad curfew Library, mostly during Aligarhthe peak tourist Muslim seasons which University hindered the tourists to visit Kashmir. It is estimated that the state had lost 27 million tourists from 1989-2002 which was the main turmoil period, leading to a revenue loss of $ 3.6 billion. However, tourism in Kashmir has revived recently. For instance, the year 2011 has made history in terms of surpassing all previous records of tourists and pilgrim arrivals in the

277

Conclusion and Suggestions

region. It is estimated that almost 13 lakhs tourists visited Kashmir in 2011 which placed J&K on the 17th position whereas Andhra Pradesh was ranked no.1 in the list of major tourist destinations of India. This figure was again dropped to 11.68 lakhs in 2014 because of severe floods that occurred in Kashmir.

Thus, the tourism sector in Kashmir, in view of insurgency and political turmoil suffered huge losses. The charming and scenic beauty of the resorts was no more seen in a manner of the days of its glory. Before the advent of the insurgency, a separate budget was kept for the development and beautification of tourist resorts which latter on had been diverted and invested on such ventures to stop the impact and influence of insurgency in the region. As a result, the once beautifully maintained gardens turned into bushes, thorns and other kinds of weeds that engulfed the resorts. The paramount consideration of the government was to maintain the law and order rather taking care of tourist resorts. The wetlands which once were used for attracting tourists from every corner of the globe have lost their glory and some of them have completed changed into the settlements. The world famous Dal Lake is not being managed properly because of political and individual reasons, which has made it out of its shine. Similar is the case with the largest freshwater lake Wular of Kashmir. It has turned into a cold-hearted water body with undefined shorelines full of huge loads of mud and willow trees. It has been left relatively unattended and underdeveloped. The authorities are so careless about the management of these water bodies that they have changed into swampy lands giving appalling smell and acting as the epicenters of various diseases which has not only affected the health and hygienic conditions of the local people but has also given an obstruction to the tourism industry of Kashmir.

From the forgoing analysis, it has been observed that apart from the Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Songmarg tourist destinations, the region has immense potential of tourism for future development. The tourist associated activities are mainly concentrated in few destinations which poses a serious potential threat to the ecology of these destinations. There are several destinations such as Bangus valley, Gurez Valley, Lolab, Tosamaidan, MaulanaDoodhpathri etc Azad with significant Library, tourism potential Aligarh to attract Muslim tourists in large University numbers, both from inside and outside the country. But these potential areas are economically weak; the living standard of local residents is low and employment opportunities are few which indicate that tourism is not developed systematically in these destinations. Therefore, it is need of the hour to highlight and develop these potential sites to ensure

278

Conclusion and Suggestions

that tourist not only gets dispersed into new areas but also help in the spread of the economic benefits to the local people which would be involved in the hospitality activities in these areas. The identification and delineation of these untapped tourist potential areas in the region will not only support to explore the different kinds of tourist attractions but would also guide to develop basic tourist infrastructure, help in proper advertising of the tourist product, managing of tourist flow, optimization of financial returns and organization of the environmental health of the destination for sustainable tourism development in the region.

The present study also shows that tourism sector plays a significant role in various socio-economic benefits to the people in the region such as employment, foreign exchange and income development or growth of other industries such as agriculture, handicrafts, construction, etc. In addition, investments in infrastructural facilities for example transportation, accommodation and other tourism-related services leads to an overall development in the region. The foreign exchange earnings from tourism has increased continuously up to 1989. The foreign exchange earnings has increased from 23.81 crores in 1987 to 30.56 crores in 1989 but in 1989 when the militancy gained momentum and insurgency was at its peak in the Valley, there was a strong havoc to the tourism sector resulting in the decrease in the number of domestic as well as foreign tourists, which in turn affected foreign exchange of Kashmir. The foreign exchange earnings has drastically declined from 30.56 crores in 1989 to just 2.29 crores in 1990, thus there was a sharp decrease of 28 crores in 1990. During the nineties, the figure of foreign exchange earnings from the tourism almost came down to a standstill thereby giving the economy of Kashmir a big jolt. But after the year 2002, there was a gradual improvement in the law and order situation in Kashmir with the result of little improvement in the tourist arrivals. However, after the introduction of various Tourism Development Authorities (TDA) by the state government in 2004, a new spirit was set up in the tourism industry of Kashmir. These Tourism Development Authorities (TDA) which were established at different tourist destinations in Kashmir generated the revenue Maulanaworth crores Azad and created Library, employment opportunities Aligarh to the Muslim large chunk ofUniversity people which has boosted up the economic conditions and living standard of the people in the region.

In the year 2004-05, the revenue generation from various tourism development authorities was recorded as 2070.95 lakhs which increased up to 2695.29 lakhs in 2005- 06. Similarly, in the year 2006-07, about 2837.93 lakhs were generated which rose up to

279

Conclusion and Suggestions

3081.9 lakhs in 2007-08. During the year 2008-09, the revenue generation marked up to 3081.9 lakhs which further touched 3255.93 lakhs in 2009-10. Similarly, in the year 2009-10, the revenue generation touched the mark of 3255.93 lakhs which shows an increasing trend of 4332.68 lakhs in 2010-11. Again in the year 2011-12, it further increased to the tone of 4663.92 lakhs. Therefore, it indicates that the income generated by these tourism development authorities has increased substantially over the years. It can be expanded further through proper maintenance of the existing tourist sites and development of new unexplored potential areas, paving way for a better standard of living and thus making the environment conducive for tourists.

Kashmir being essentially a non-industrial economy and deficient in natural resources depends mostly on tourism sector next to agriculture. A large section of the population of Kashmir directly or indirectly is engaged in the tourism business. Such as houseboat owners, shikara owners, artisans, photographers, travel agents and craftsmen. Thus tourism industry further makes stronger the economy of Jammu and Kashmir in general and Kashmir in particular by increasing income and standard of living of the people. In the remote tourist destinations like Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Gulmarg, Aharbal etc, it is the only dominant activity that yields good income to the people. But the out broke of insurgency in the region in 1989 has created a negative impact on the employment opportunities provided by tourism. People who were engaged in tourism and its related sectors found themselves without an occupation and no means of livelihood because there was a sharp decline in the tourist arrival to the Valley. Hotels and guest houses which once were used to do rosy business now were without tourists and the business of this sector reached the lowest ebb. Hundreds of hotel owners, houseboat owners and thousands of tradesmen at the different tourist destinations left their jobs as the tourism business freaked off.

Besides this, there has been progressive growth in the infrastructure facility due to the development of tourism in the region. All the major tourist destinations of the Kashmir valley like Srinagar, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Gulmarg, etc. are well maintained and Maulanaconnected with Azad metallic road Library,s, telephone services, Aligarh sanitation Muslim facilities and University many other facilities. The water and power supply facilities are also more regular in the place of tourism. The transport facility has shown a steep growth due to the tourism development in the region. The total road length in the state has been increased from 15472 km into 26032.65 km to 26032 km in 2013-14. So far the accommodation in the region is

280

Conclusion and Suggestions

concerned; the region witnessed a significant growth in this sector. In the year 1982, there were only 95 hotels registered in the tourism department with room capacity of 2681 and bed capacity of 5221. In the year 1986, the number of hotels increased up to 152 showing a growth of 57 hotels with room and bed capacity of 4460 and 8661. The growth in rooms and bed capacity being 177 and 3460 respectively. In the year 1991, the number of hotels grew up to 202 with a bed capacity of 5478 and room capacity of 10752 showing an increase of 57 hotels during this period. The figure increased up to 369 in 2006 showing a growth of 125 hotels with bed capacity of 12325. In the year 2015, about 536 hotels were registered with room and bed capacity of 14571 and 28683 respectively.

The analysis also shows that tourism industry has a significant contribution in promoting the handicraft sector of Kashmir to a large extent. The handicraft industry of which is an allied sector of tourism has enjoyed worldwide fame and name for the exquisite quality and uniqueness of its arts and crafts. In absence of any other manufacturing industries in the region, handicrafts remained a key economic activity from time immemorial. It occupies an important position in the economic structure of J&K and near about 3 lakh people are dependent on it for employment opportunities and it has great potential to generate more employment in future within and outside the state. The study shows that except in 2008-09, 2009-2010 and 2012-13 when the influence of insurgency and political instability in the region was greater. The production and export generated from the handicraft industry have increased over the years. The growth rate of production of handicraft has been increased from 900.00 crores to 2234.15 crores during 2005-06 to 2015-16. Similarly, the growth rate of export has been increased from 705.00 crores to 1059.41 crores during 2005-06 to 2015-16. Despite the progressive growth in handicraft sector due to the tourism development. This sector also suffered a lot since the birth of conflict in the region. The performance of this sector got a serious jolt and the output of this sector suffered seriously and declined to a large extent. Not only production but also quality wise they are less superior to the goods manufactured in China, Nepal and Iran. Due to this reason, it is witnessed that the export trade has not been able to capture Maulanaits due share Azadin the potential Library, market. Aligarh Muslim University The interaction during the field survey with the stakeholders provided a better understanding of the attitude of the stakeholders towards the tourism development. Thus, the total exercise found to be very satisfying as far as the socio-economic impact of tourism is concerned in the study region. The views of the majority of respondents were

281

Conclusion and Suggestions

positive on almost all the statements except few which indicates a negative impact of tourism development on the society. From the analysis it has been found Socio-cultural impact of tourism considering of 12 variables revealed that the factor-1, Social and Cultural Growth comprising of six items showed higher mean value 3.48 for the variable “Increased the demand for the preservation of traditional art and culture” followed by 3.42 for “Improved language skills of local residents” indicating the core factors with high impact of tourism development. The second factor- Tourism and Infrastructural Development consisting of three items revealed that the higher mean value of 4.03 was for the variable “Helped in the development of general infrastructure” followed by 3.85 “Improved the public utility infrastructure”. These are the variables which are highly influenced by the tourism development in the region. Third Factor- Undesirable Social Impacts consisting of five variables which showed the highest mean value 3.39 for the variables “Increased overcrowding” followed by mean value of 3.36, 3.21 and 3.09 for the variables “Change in occupational structure of people”, Commercialization of local culture and tradition and Promoted crime and social evils; hence these variables shows moderate negative impact by tourism development the region. Thus it has been analyzed that that due to the tourism development in the region there has also been some negative impacts on the society. Factor-4 Environment Development consisting two variables shows highest loading value 3.48 and 3.45 for “Creates need for separate place for parking and Helps in quality of sewage and garbage disposal”. Thus shows the positive impact of tourism on the environment development in the region.

On the other hand, the analysis also shows that tourism has also impacted on the economic aspects of people in the study region. Economic impact of tourism considering of 12 variables revealed that the factor 1- Tourism and Community Benefits comprising of two items showed higher mean value 3.72 for the variable “More employment opportunities” followed by 3.34 “Increased income of local residents” indicating that tourism development has positive role the generating the employment and income of local residents. Similarly, Factor: 2- Tourism and Price Inflation of Goods and services consists Maulanaof four items shows Azad highest Library, mean value 4.05 Aligarh and 3.72 for theMuslim variables “I ncreasedUniversity the cost of land and housing” and Increased the rent of accommodation and shops” indicating the positive sign of economic development generated by the tourism in the region. Factor- 3 Tourism and Employment with three items shows highest mean value 3.63 for the variable “Creates more seasonal jobs” which shows a negative sign of impact on society.

282

Conclusion and Suggestions

Because at the entire tourist spots of Kashmir except Gulmarg, there is seasonal based tourism due to which during the peak tourism months people remains engaged in tourism business and rest of the year they are taking less benefit from the tourism industry. Factor-4 namely Tourism and New Business Opportunity consists of two items “Increases opportunity for shopping and Creates new business opportunities” have mean values of 3.50 and 3.44 which shows the high positive impact of tourism development on new business avenues and opportunities to the people who are engaged with the tourism business. The last factor-Tax Revenues considering one variable with mean value of 3.43 indicates that there has been an increase in tax of various goods and services since the tourism has been developed in Kashmir.

Suggestions

From the above findings, it is clear that Kashmir, despite being the heart of tourism potential is ridden with innumerable problems and weaknesses, which if attended and soughed out properly could regain its glory and splendour. Therefore the following measures should be adopted which may prove helpful and fruitful to promote and boost the tourism sector of Kashmir.

 The first and the foremost thing in this regard would be to have a well-documented tourism policy because Jammu and Kashmir does not have a tourism policy which should give equal rights to all the stakeholders involved in tourism-related activities. Moreover, the tourism policy should be with clear-cut action plan for its sustainability.  Development of a strong network among government and various agencies, tourism industry, tourist groups, host communities, etc which would work towards re- marketing Kashmir tourism on a modern basis.  The infrastructure development in Kashmir with regard to tourism is not satisfactory. There is not enough space in hotels and resorts to handle the tourist rush in peak tourist seasons. Therefore the existing accommodation facility needs to be extended Maulanaand improved Azad to the Library, international standard Aligarh so that the Muslim delivery mechanism University in these establishments will meet the requirements of not only the domestic but also the international tourists.  Tourist traffic largely depends on the ability of transport facilities in a region. Kashmir lacks behind in providing better and adequate transport facilities. There is

283

Conclusion and Suggestions

poor condition of the roads inside the region connecting different tourist spots. This has proved a great problem in the path of tourism development in the area. Therefore, there is need to provide better and comfortable approaches to the various tourist places in the area, especially off-beat destinations. Besides this, there should be an alternative road link that could have connected Kashmir with the rest of the country and could reduce the distance between them.  There is only one Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) in Kashmir, which is playing a significant role in imparting training to the local residents and hence enhancing their skills which matchup with international standards. There is a need to open more such institutions which can provide proper training to the local community members engaged in tourism-related activities like guides, tour operators and chefs etc so that they may be better equipped in handling tourist inflow.  There are several tourist spots in Kashmir especially in the high altitudinal mountainous areas such as Bangus Valley, Lolab Valley, Gurez Valley, Yusmarg, Bosiya Rafiabad, Tosa maidan etc; which have much more tourism potential than present tourist attractions. But so far they have not been explored and utilized fully, provided with all the infrastructural facilities. Thus the identification and delineation of these untapped tourist potential regions is need of the hour which would help in reducing ever increasing tourist pressure on the already developed tourist destinations and will act as a magnet to attract maximum tourists. Therefore Government should bring these areas under the lines of tourism in order to attract a large number of tourists.  There are only few peak tourist months in Kashmir that too in summer season. This has led to wastage of resources. In order to overcome this problem government should take appropriate steps for organizing winter sports at Sonmarg and Pahalgam on the pattern of Gulmarg. This would attract sports lovers from different corners of the world and help in the future development of tourism in Kashmir.  Government should make special emphasis on security of interior tourism network so Maulanathat a sense ofAzad safeness willLibrary, be felt by the Aligarhtourists. Muslim University  In Kashmir, adventure tourism is at the initial stage of development. The maximum adventure tourism resources are virgin in Kashmir valley; their exploitation could not only meet the demand of foreign tourists but also bring economic development and generate employment opportunities in the region. Thus the exploitation of virginity of

284

Conclusion and Suggestions

adventure tourism potentials in Kashmir is need of the hour. Therefore, it is very important to give special attention towards the development and promotion of adventure tourism in Kashmir.  Kashmir has an immense potential for the development of rural tourism. In spite of being the heartland of the diversity of culture, tradition and natural resources, rural tourism in the region has not grown up to the expectations so far due to several interrelated factors like political disturbances in the region and unawareness of the rural tourist attractions. In order to create a successful cultural and heritage rural tourism product for tourism consumption, there is vital need to guide, aware and mobilize the local people to have a broad understanding of the cultural attraction mix strategies. In addition to it, the local communities also need to obtain certain skills necessary to identify business opportunities, initiatives and thereby nurture them. It is also essential to improve the rural infrastructure and publicity on the rich natural and cultural tourist potentials of rural areas of Kashmir.  The tourism industry in Kashmir is male-dominated. There is virtually no participation of women in the tourism industry in the region. Women are still not well represented in training and guidance programmes which provide trained personnel to the various sectors of the tourist industry. The main problem seems to be based on cultural and traditional values of the region. Therefore, in order to improve and encourage the participation of women in the tourism industry in Kashmir, Government of Jammu and Kashmir should consider special incentives in financial aids and loans for those enterprises developed in the tourist industry which have majority partnership involving women. Lower interest rates should be charged for loans in which women entrepreneurship is more. Moreover, technical training institutes especially catering to young women should be established in Kashmir, which would have relations to providing trained women personnel into the tourist industry.  State Government should take appropriate steps to revive the traditional Handicrafts Maulanasector viaAzad new innovative Library, methods Aligarh which will regain Muslim its old reputation University in the international arena.  Many of the tourist destinations with a lot of tourism potential are occupied by security forces thus incurring a heavy loss on government exchequer, tourism

285

Conclusion and Suggestions

resources and environment. Therefore government should take appropriate action for the vacation of such spots from the security forces.  The pilgrimage tourism in Kashmir has remained restricted to the annual Amarnath Yatra which is being now seen as more political than religious. Apart from the famous pilgrimage site of Amarnath Cave, there is an abundance of other sacred pilgrimage sites located at different places, which are not still exploited and utilized. These sites if developed and managed properly can attract pilgrimage tourist in large numbers. Therefore, the need of the hour is to pay more attention towards the abundant religious sites in Kashmir for the promotion of religious tourism.  Kashmir Valley is very much famous throughout the world for its tradition and culture. Department of tourism should also organize festivals at off-beat destinations on the pattern of tulip festival. The aim of such festivals should be to highlight the local handicrafts, cuisine (Kashmiri Wazwan), folk and rock music. This would not only catch the spirit of tourists but also help in boosting the economy of the local community.  Kashmir has a huge potential for archaeological and historical monuments but due to the mismanagement and carelessness of authority these sites are vanishing day by day and even some sites completely vanished of which the only records are available now. Therefore, appropriate steps should be taken to restore the ancient splendour of the monuments.  There are several lakes like Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Anchar Lake and Manasbal Lake, which are famous for tourist attraction. But these lakes have been the victim of environmental degradation and are fast deteriorating on account of uncontrolled urbanization, expansion of agricultural land and above all careless attitude and negligence of people towards them. Therefore government should take appropriate steps for the removal of encroachment from these lakes. Moreover, houseboat owners must be forced to adopt safer and special methods of sanitation to prevent water from pollution and the deweeding of lakes must be regular affairs. Maulana The publicity Azad for the promotio Library,n of tourism Aligarh activities in theMuslim Kashmir is very University poor. So publicity must be improved and maintained in order to attract the tourists from far wide. This can be done by advertising the tourism potential of Kashmir through the channels of media, national newspapers, T.V and Radio, internet etc. which may help in boosting the tourism sector of Kashmir.

286

Bibliography

Affeld, D. (1975). Social Aspects of the Development of Tourism; In Planning and Development of the Tourist Industry in the ECE Region. United Nations, New York, USA, 109-115.

Afroz, N. N; and Hasanuzzaman, Md. (2012). Problems and Prospects of Tourism in Bangladesh Bandarban District Case. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 12(23), 6-7.

Agri, E. M; et.al. (2016). Diversification of Nigeria’s Economy; Impact of Tourism on Sustainable Development in Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 3(5), 38-39.

AHEC Roorkee. (2000). Detailed Project Report for Conservation and Management of Dal Lake. Retrieved from http://jklda.org/restoration.aspx

Ahmed, I; and Jahan, N. (2013), Rural Tourism-Prospects in Rustic Bengal, European Journal of Business and Management, 5(16), 164,170.

Ahmed, N. (2013). Potentiality of Employment Generation and Socio Economic Development in Tourism Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2(4), 26-38.

Ansai, A. H and Oseni, U. A. (2012). Wetlands and Global Warming. Impacts Adaptation and Mitigation: Developing Countries Perspective. Serials Publication, New Delhi-11002.

Arunmozhi, A; and Panneerselvam, A (2013). Heritage tourism. International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review, 1(1), 84-88.

Asoora, K. (2014). Ecotourism- The Potential areas in Nilambur. International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 2(1), 2-3.

Avinash, C. (2008). Concept of Tourism. Jnanada Prakashan, New Delhi, 13-28. MaulanaBacha, M. S. Azad (2002). Central Library, Assistance forAligarh Hokera Critical Muslim Wetland,Report. University Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir Government, Srinagar.

Bakshi, S. R. (1997). Kashmir: Tourism, Monuments and Folklore. Sarup and Sons, New Delhi, 120.

287

Bibliography

Bano, F and Aima, A. (2012). Adventure Tourism Potential: A Study of Kashmir. International Journal of Research in Commerce, IT & Management. 2(9), 2231- 5756. Beedie, P; and Hudson, S. (2003). “Emergence of Mountain based adventure tourism”. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(3), 625-643. Bentley, T. A; and S. J. Page (2001). Scoping the extent of adventure tourism accidents. Annals of Tourism Research, 28, 705-726.

Bhat, B. A (2014). Exploring the Socio-Economic Coordinates of Tourism: A Case of Kashmir. Journal of Business & Economic Policy, 1(1), 10-13.

Bhat, G. R; and Khan, B.A (2014). Impact of Militancy on Tourism of Kashmir, Indian Stream Research Journal, 4(2), 4.

Bhat, I. A and Shyju, P. J. (2015). Pilgrimage Tourism in Sindh Valley: A Case Study of Kheer Bhawani Shrine. South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage, 8(2), 65.

Bhat, R. A. (2014). Impact of Tourism on the Socio-economic Development in Kashmir. An Unpublished M.A, Dissertation, Department of Geography, A.M.U, Aligarh, 26-34.

Bhat, Z. A. (2013). Assessments of opportunities and challenges of tourism industry in J&K. International Journal of Research and Commerce, 4(4), 2-3

Bhat, Z. A. (2013). Tourism Indusrty and Pilgrimage Tourism in J&K, Prospects and Challenges, International Monthly Refereed Journal of Research In Management and Technology, 2, 105-106

Bhatia, A, K. (1971). Tourism in India-History and Development. Sterling Publishers Private Limited, New Delhi.

Biju, M. (2003). Management of Hospitality Industry; Indian Perspective; Sanjopsis, 114.

Brown, O. (1998). In search of an appropriate form of tourism for Africa: Lessons from the and suggestions for the future. Tourism Management 19(3), 237-245.

MaulanaButler, R.W. (1996). Azad The conceptLibrary, of carrying Aligarh capacity for touristMuslim destinations: University Dead or merely buried? Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2(3), 283-292.

Census of India, 2011

288

Bibliography

Chand, M. (2000). Travel Agency Management. Anmol Publications Private Limited, New Delhi, 45-48.

Chandan, P, et,al. (2007). Management Planning of Himalayan High Altitude Wetlands. A Case Study of Tsomoriri and Tsokar Wetlands in Ladakh, India. Proceedings of Taal 2007 The 12th World Lake Conference, 1451.

Chutia, S. (2015). Prospects and Problems of Tourism Industry in Assam. International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 4(2), 638.

Dar, A. A, (2015). An Empirical Analysis of Socio Cultural Impacts of tourism on Kashmir. International Journal of Enhanced Research in Management & Computer Applications, 4(12), 33.

Dar, H (2014). The potential of tourism in border destinations: A study of Jammu and Kashmir. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 4(2), 1-2.

Dar, R. R. (2014). Understanding Kashmir Tourism-An Insight into its Trends, Prospects and Problems. International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 4(9), 3-7.

Darzi, M. I. (2016). Tourism sector of Jammu & Kashmir- prospectus and challenges. International Journal of Applied Research, 2(5), 19-20.

Das, D (2013). Tourism in North-East Indian States: Prospects and Problems. Global Research Methodology Journal, 2(7), 2-3.

Department of Wildlife Protection Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir. (2007). Comprehensive Management Action Plan for Wular Lake, Kashmir. Wetlands International-South Asia, 7-8.

Dewan, P. (2004). Kashmir. Manhas Publication, New Delhi, 521,532

Digest and Statistics, (2015). Economic Survey, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

Digest of Forest Statistics, (2011). J&K Forest Department. Retrieved from http:/ Maulana /jkforest.gov.in Azad /orders/Digest_of_Forest_Statistics_J_K_Forest_Dept.pdfLibrary, Aligarh Muslim University Dimoska, T; and Petrevska, B. (2012). Indicators for Sustainable Tourism Development in Macedonia. Conference Proceedings, First International Conference on Business, Economics and Finance, 389.

289

Bibliography

Directorate of Economics and Statistics. (2008). Socio-Economic Profile of J&K, Govt. of J&K. Retrieved from http://ecostatjk.nic.in/publications/Socio%20Economic%20

English Tourism Council (2002). English Tourism Council Definition, on: Desti Net Sustainable Tourism Information Portal: Aims and Definitions. Retrieved from http://destinet.ewindows.eu.og/sustainability/GENERIC_English_Tourism_Counc il_Definit

Gadoo, et;al, (2014) Measuring the Sustainable Tourism Development of Kashmir, European Academic Research, 2(3), 134-143.

Ganai, N. (2011, January 3). Separatists got Kashmiri leaders Shot: Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, India Today, Retrieved from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/separatists- kashmir-hurriyat/1/125374.html,

Ganie. N; and Mir, S. M. (2013). A study on Challenges and Opportunities of Tourism Industry in J&K. International Journal of IT and Commerce, 3(2), 101-102

Habib, S and A. R. Yousuf, A. R (2013). Influence of harvesting on associated macro faunal community of Hazratbal basin of Dal lake in Kashmir Himalayas. International Journal of Advanced Research, 1(9), 142-147.

Hiremath, A. (2013, May 17). 5 unexplored places in Kashmir. The Alternative.in. Retrieved from http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/5-unexplored-places-in-kash mir/?print=pdf,

Holden, A (2000). Environment and Tourism, Introduction to environment series. Routledge, London.

Hossain, J. M (2006). The Use of Promotional Activities in the Tourism Industry: The Case of Bangladesh, An unpubished M.Sc. Thesis in Business Administration, Maulana Blekinge AzadInstitute of Library,Technology School Aligarh of Management, Muslim 15. University

Hussain, M (2000). Systematic Geography of Jammu and Kashmir, Rawat Publications Jaipur and New Delhi, 224

290

Bibliography

Hussain, M, et;al. (1985). Geography of J &K. Ariana Publishing House, New Delhi, 184-191.

Hussain, M. (1988). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajesh Publications, New Delhi, 157-161.

Hussain, M. (1998). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajesh Publications, New Delhi, 8-9

Hussain. M (2000). Systematic Geography of Jammu & Kashmir. Rawat Publication, New Delhi, 211-212

India Tourism Statistics, (2014). Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Market research division, New Delhi.

Itoo, M. A. (2011). Impact of Turmoil on Tourism Industry of Kashmir. Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development, 2(7), 1-3.

JKTDC, (2017). Tangmarg. Retrieved from http://jktdc.in/destinations/tangmarg.html,

Joseph E. M (2003). The socio-economic and environmental impacts of tourism development on the Okavango Delta, north-western Botswana. Journal of Arid Environments, 54, 447-448

Jovica M. J and Susic, V. (2014). Planning Models of Sustainable Tourism Development Destination. International Scientific Conference, The Financial and Real Economy: Towards Growth, 120-121.

Kak, R.C. (2002). Ancient Monuments of Kashmir, Utpal Publications, Delhi, 22-23

Kamra, K., and Chand, M. (2007). Basics of Tourism: Theory, Practice and Operation. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 30.

Karrar. H. (2014). Scope of Eco-Tourism in Kerala, A Geographical Analysis. Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, 2(15), 3-6.

Kashmir Adventure Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 9, 2017. From Royal Safari Maulanawebsite Azad http://www.royalsaffari.com/kashmir Library, Aligarh-info/kashmir Muslim-tourism/ Universitykashmir-adve ntures.html

Kashmir Observer, (2015, December 15). Bosiya Coming up as New Tourist Destination Retrieved from http://www.kashmirobserver.net//news/businenessbosiyanewhtml,

291

Bibliography

Kaul, N. R. (2002). Dynamics of Tourism. Sterling publications, New Delhi, 4.

Khaki, A., and Nengroo, A. H. (2016). Economic impact of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 4(3), 2.

Khan, A. M. (2005). Introduction to Tourism. Anmol Publications, New Delhi, 115-200

Khan, A. R (2007). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulshan books, Residency Road, Srinagar, 143-144

Khan, B. A. (2013). Tourism in Kashmir: Problems and Prospects. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 2(4), 558-559.

Khan, M. A, (2015). Wildlife tourism in Kashmir: A case study of Dachigam National Park. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 2(2), 354-361.

Khan, M. A. (2000). Wetland Biodiversity in the Kashmir Himalaya: Assessment and Conservation Strategies, Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 221.

Khan, R. (2007). Travels to Paradise on Earth: Kashmir. Star Publications, Srinagar, Kashmir, 58-59.

Khan, S.A, et;al, (2012). Studies on bird diversity of Overa Aru Wildlife Sanctuary of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 4(13), 3228–3232

Khan. A. R. (2007). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulshan books, Residency Road, Srinagar, 6-7.

Kour, S. (2013). Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir: With Reference to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. IT Journal of Management, 3(2), 147-156. MaulanaKuchay, N. A &Azad Bhat, M.S Library, (2013). Tourist Aligarh Flow and Tourism Muslim Potential University Regions of Gulmarg in Kashmir Himalayas. Global Journal of Human, Social Science, Geography, Geo-Sciences, Environmental Disaster Management, 13(4), 28-29.

Kumar, N. (2013). Potential and Challenges of Rural Tourism in Punjab, Indian Journal of Research, 2(3), 41-42.

292

Bibliography

Kundangar, M. R. D and Sarwar, S. G. (1997). Dal Lake, Kashmir. A report Sponsored by Environmental Engineering Department, J&K Government.

Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, (2015). Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Lawrence, W. R. (1999). The valley of Kashmir. Gulshan Publishers, Srinagar, 13

Lawrence, W. R. (2005). The valley of Kashmir, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 179-191.

Lawrence. W. (1999). The Kashmir Gazetteer, Shubhi Publications. FK- 30. Shastri Nagar. Delhi, 12-15.

Lone, P. A; and Rather, N. A (2013). An empirical Analysis of Tourist Infrastructure Quality in Jammu and Kashmir. A Journal of Radix International Educational and Research Consortium, 2(2), 1-5.

Lone, S. A (2007). Seed Collection and Identification of Forest Trees of Kashmir. An Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Department of Botany, H.N.B. Garhwal University.

Mahapatra, D. A and Shekhawat, S. (2008). The Peace Process and Prospects for Economic Reconstruction in Kashmir. Peace & Conflict Review, 3(1), 13.

Mak, J; and White, K. (1992). Comparative Tourism Development in Asia and the Pacific, Journal of Travel Research, 31(1), 14-23.

Malik, M. (2016). Effects of Social and Cultural Values in Hospitality and Tourism Industry. International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods, 4(9), 68-70.

Malik, M. I and Bhat M. S. (2013). Identification of Tourist Potential Regions for Balanced Tourism Development in Pahalgam Tourist Destination of Kashmir MaulanaValley, Azad International Library, Journal of Scientific Aligarh Research Muslim, 2(4), 189. University Mathieson, A; and Wall, G. (2006). Tourism: Economic, Physical, and Social Impacts. New York: Longman Scientific and Technical, 227.

Mayer. I. A (2007). Medical Geography, A P H Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 44- 45,

293

Bibliography

Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI. (2006). National Wetland Atlas: Jammu & Kashmir, Space Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad.

Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute. (2011-2012). Annual Report Jammu and Kashmir. Retrieved from http://dcmsme.gov.in/an29.

Ministry of Tourism, GOI (2012). Identification of Tourism Circuits across India, Retrieved from http://tourism.gov.in/writereaddata/CMSPagePicturefilemarket

Mir, A. H (2008). Impact of Tourism on the Socio-Economic Development in Kashmir, An Unpublished M.Phil Thesis, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, 45-62.

Mir, A. H and Ahmed, A (2015). Prospects of Ecotourism in Bangus Valley, International Journal of Scientific Research and Development, 3(1), 776-777

Mir, H. A. (2014). Impact of Tourism Industry on Economic Development of Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 5(6), 1-5.

Mir, J. J. (2014). Environmental Security and Sustainability in Kashmir. Dissertation Report, Sikkim University, India.

Mir, M. S (2013). Geographical Analysis of Tourism in Kashmir Region, An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Delhi, 55-126.

Mir, U. M. (2013). The History of Culture and Tradition of Kashmiri Pandiths in J&K, Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 2(1), 2278-4497.

Misra, S. N., and Sadual, S.K (2008). Basics of Tourism Management, Excel Books: New Delhi. 8.

Mittak, M. (2013). Management of Tourism in Punjab: An Appraisal, An Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Department of Commerce, Punjabi University, Patiala, 202.

Mohanty, P. (1992). Hotel Industry and Tourism in India, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, 48. MaulanaMohi Ud Din, Azad T (2015). EmploymentLibrary, and Aligarh Production of Muslim Handicrafts in JammuUniversity and Kashmir: An Economic Analysis. International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 2(1), 22.

294

Bibliography

Naik, A. B (2008). Tourism Potential in Ecological Zones and Future Prospects of Tourism in Kashmir. An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, 101-120.

Nengroo and Bhat G. H, (2015). Economic impact of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, European Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 4(1), 21.

Novitzki, R. P; Smith, R. D and Fretwell, J. D. (2016). Restoration, Creation, and Recovery of Wetlands. Retrieved from http//water.usgs.gov//nwsum/Wsp2425/fun

ctions.html.

Nzma, A.T (2008). Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism on the Rural areas within the World Heritage Sites- The Case of Kwazula-Natal, South Africa. South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage, 1(1), 1-8.

Oberholzer, S; et; al (2010). The Socio-Economic Impacts of Africa’s oldest marine Park, African Protected Area Conservation and Science, 52(1), 1-9

Pearce, D. (1989). Tourist development (2nd ed.). Essex: Longman.

Phoummasak, K et.al. (2014). The Socio-Economic Impact of Tourism and Entrepreneurs in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(12), 276-278.

Pizam, A. (1978). Tourism's Impact: The Social Costs to the Destination Community as Perceived by its Residents. Journal of Travel Research, 16(4), 55-58.

Planning Commision Govt. of India. (2011). J&K Development Report. Retrieved from http://planning commission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_jandk/sdr_jkch4.pdf

Quadri, H and Yousuf, A, R (2007). Dal Lake Ecosystem: Conservation Strategies and Maulana Problems. Azad Proceeding Library, of Taal 2007, Aligarh the 12th World Muslim lake Conference, University 1453-1457. Qureshi. A, et;al, (2014). Butterflies of Dachigam National Park, Journal of Threatened Taxa, 6(1), 5389-5392.

295

Bibliography

Raina, A. N. (2002). Geography of J&K. Radha Krishan Anand & Company, Pacca Danga, Jammu, 16-37.

Raina, A. N. (2002). Geography of Jammu & Kashmir State. Radha Krishan Anand & Co., Pacca Danga, Jammu, 9.

Raina. A. N. (1971). Geography of Jammu and Kashmir. National Book Trust, New Delhi,15-32

Rajeswari. (2005). Profile of tourism in Kanyakumari Township, M.Phil dissertation, DDCE, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, 45-50.

Raza, M and Mohammad, A. (1978), The Valley of Kashmir. The land, Vikas Publication, New Delhi, 20-43.

Rehman, S. A. (2005). The Beautiful India: Jammu and Kashmir. Reference Press, New Delhi, 472.

Robinson, H. (1976). A Geography of Tourism. Mac Donell and Evans Limited Plymouth, 53-54.

Roday. S; Biwal, A. and Joshi, V. (2010). Introduction to Travel and Tourism, Tourism Operations and Management, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 15-20.

Santek Consultants Private Limited (2003). Final Report of 20 years of perspective plan for sustainable development of tourism in J&K. Prepared for ministry of tourism, Government of India, New Delhi, 380-392 MaulanaSawant, M. (2010). Azad Economic Library, impacts of tourism Aligarh development: Muslim a case study University of Ajanta. Indian Journal of Management Review, 1(1), 43-47.

Sawant, M. (2012). Socio-economic impacts of Ajanta Ellora development Project. Innovative Tourism and Sustainable Development. Kanishka Publication, New Delhi, 135-145.

296

Bibliography

Sawant, M. (2017). Socio-economic impacts of Tourism development at Aurangabad District. Research Gate, 1-2

Shah, et.al. (2014). Role of Tourism in Income Generation and Employement in Kashmir Valley, International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research, 5(12), 2302-2303.

Shah, F.A, et;al, (2013). Impact of conflict on Kashmir Tourism and Socio-Economic Profile of the People of J&K. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies, 3(7), 37-38

Shah, M and Ali, S. (2013). Houseboat- A component of Tourism Industry in Kashmir, 3rd International Conference on Business, Economics, Management and Behavioural Sciences (Hong Kong (China), 90.

Shah, M. R. (2016). An Assessment of Handicraft Sector of J&K with reference to central Kashmir. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 6(5), 1-2.

Sharpley, R. (2002). Rural tourism and the challenge of tourism diversification: the case of Cyprus. Elsevier, 233–244.

Shashi, S. P. (2004). Tourism Education: Principles, Theories and Practices. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 12-26.

Skinder, M. B and Pandit, A. K. (2012). Impact of Biotic Interferences on Yousmarg Forest Ecosystem, Kashmir. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 3(4), 2-3.

Stephen, J. (2007). Tourism Management, Elsevier Limited, U.S.A, 10

Sundararaman. S. (2011). Impact of Terrorism on Kashmir Valley Tourism, An Unpublished P.hd Thesis, Pondicherry University, 61 Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University Swami, P. (2000, April 1-14). The massacre at Chattisinghpora, Frontline. Retrieved from http://www.frontline.instatic/html/fl1707/17070340.htm

Syed, A. (2012). Playing with Nature, Kashmir Life, Srinagar, J&K India.

297

Bibliography

Thakur, M. D. (2004). Problems and prospects of Tourism Industry in Gujrat. An Unpublished Ph.D thesis, Saurashtra University, 34-37.

Towner, J; and France, L. (1992). Rapid Rural Appraisal Technique, The Application to Geographical Studies of Tourism, Tourism Recreation Research, 17, 48-53.

Tribe, J, etal. (2000), Environmental management for rural tourism and recreation. London: Cassell.

Uma, H; and Bettanaika. B. (2014). Challenges and Prospects of Tourism industry in India. Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary, 2(2), 58.

UNWTO. (2015). Tourism Highlights. Retrieved from http://www.e /doi/pdf/10.18111/97 89unwto.org284416899

Uriely, N., et;al (2002). Rescuing Hikers in Israel‟s Deserts: Community Altruism or an Extension of Adventure Tourism. Journal of Leisure Research, 34(1), 25-36.

Varley, P. (2006). Confecting Adventure and Playing with Meaning: The Adventure Commodification Continuum. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 11, 173-194.

Victor T. C. Middleton, (1998). Sustainable Tourism: A Marketing Perspective, Butterworth-Heinemann.

Vukonic, B. (2002). Religion, Tourism and Economics, A Convenience Symbiosis, Tourism Recreation Research, 27(2), 241-249.

Wahab, S; and Pilgrim, J. J (1997). Tourism Development and Growth, The Challenger of Sustainability. Routledge London.

Walle, A. H. (1997). Pursuing Risk or Insight: Marketing Adventures. Annals of Tourism Research, 24, 265–282

Weber, K. (2001). Outdoor adventure Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 28(2), 360- 377.

Wetlands International-South Asia, New Delhi. (2006). Final report, Comprehensive MaulanaManagement Azad Action Library, Plan for Wular Aligarh Lake Kashmir. Muslim Department University of Wildlife Protection Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir.

Woollven, R; Allison, P and Higgins, P. (2007). Perception and Reception: The Introduction of Licensing of Adventure Activities in Great Britain. Journal of Experiential Education, 30(1), 1-20.

298

Bibliography

World Travel and Tourism Council, (2015). Economic Impact India. Retrieved from wttc.org//media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/regional%202015/ world2015pdf,

WTO. (1981). Technical handbook on the collection and presentation of domestic and international tourism statistics. Madrid: World Tourism Organization.

WTTC, (2015). Travel & Tourism Economic Impact. Draft National Policy, Interim report, Ministry of Tourism Govt, of India. Retrieved from www.cntraveller.in/con tent/ ultimate-honeymoon-calendar

Yasmin, E and Bhat, F. A. (2013). An Evaluation of Handicraft Sector of J&K- A Case study of District Budgam. European Academic Research, 1(4), 367-368.

Yousuf, Z. (2016). Impact of Tourism on Socio- Economic Development of Shikarawalas of District Srinagar: A Sociological Analysis. Journal of Kashmir for Tourism and Catering Technology, 1(7), 27.

Zulfikar, M. (1998). Tourism and Hotel Industry, Vikas publishing House pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 6.

Zurick, D. N. (1992). Adventure travel and sustainable tourism in the peripheral economy of Nepal. Taylor and Francis Ltd, 82(4), 608-628.

Webliography

http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/5-unexplored-places-in kashmir/?print=pdf

http://jktdc.in/destinations/yousmarg.html

http://koausa.org/tourism/doc/tourism.pdf

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/business/chairperson-iwai-reviews-inland-water-tra nsport-in-jk/258950.html,

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/kashmir/three-day-gurez-festival-organized-by-tour ism-department concludes/256932.html

Maulanahttp://www.kashmirdispatch.com/others/250612101 Azad Library, Aligarh-kashmirs Muslim-kalaroos-caves University-way-to- russia.htm

http://www.koausa.org/Geography/ch5.1.html

http://www.paradisecampingresorts.com/adventure-sports.htm

299

Bibliography

http://www.royalsaffari.com/kashmir-info/kashmir-tourism/kashmir-adventures.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daksum

http://jklda.org/restoration.aspx

http://ecostatjk.nic.in/publications/Socio%20Economic%20Profile.pdf

http://gurais.wikifoundry.com/page/Gurez+Festival

http://jktourism.org/destinations/kashmir/gurez-valley.html

http://www.tripoto.com/trip/gurez-the-unexplored-valley-of-kashmir-2821

http://www.jandkplanning.com/image

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolab_Valley

http://kupwara.nic.in/torism resorts.hmt

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-11-17/news/68356659_1_tourism-pot ential-kousarnag-tourist,

http://ficci.in/spdocument/20610/Re-tourism/.

http://gurais.wikifoundry.com/page/Topography+of+Gurez+Valley

http://www.kpmg.com/IN/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications

http://kashmirreader.com/2017/08/24/water-transport-facility-help-promote-tourism-dir

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dastgeer_Sahib

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kashmir#Etymology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir#Demographics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Kashmir

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_ Gandhi_Memorial_Tulip-Ga Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

300

GLOSSARY Local Words English Word Banihal Pass Jawharlal Tunnel Bhand pather Folk Dance Bod dal Big Lake Bonne Chinar Tree Chakri Folk Music Chillai-Kalan Period of Snowy Cold Dharshan Worship Gujjars Nomad People Gondola Cable Car Lift Harud Autumn Season Kahva Traditional Tea of Kashmir Kangri Fire pot Kashmiris People of Kashmir Kashmiri saz Musical Instrument Kashmiri Musalmans Muslims of Kashmir kashmiri wazwan Traditional food of Kashmir Kesar Saffron Koshur Local Language Lokut dal Small Lake Loo Loo is a strong, dusty, hot and dry summer wind from the west which blows over the western Indo-Gangetic Plain region of North India and Pakistan. Margs Meadows Moi-e-Muqqadus Sacred relic of Prophet Mohammad Nallah Small Stream Pandits Local Hindus MaulanaParvathr Azad Library,Goddess inAligarh Hindu Religion Muslim University Pheran Long woollen coat Rabab Musical Instrument Retkol Summer Season

301

Rishis Muslim Saint Shalwar Trouser Shahan-i-Mughalia Period of Mughals Sheshur Severe Cold Sekil Sandy Soil Shikara Small Wooded Boats Shikarawalas Owners of Small Boats Surhzamin Blakish Soil Sont Spring season Trout Type of Fish Vyeth Local name of Jhelum River Wudars Plateau Wahrat Rains Season Wandah Local name of Winter Season Wazas Traditional Cooks Wudars Plateau type feature

Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University

302