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: ........................ COPYRIGHT TRANSFER CERTIFICATE Title of the Thesis: Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in Kashmir. Candidate’s Name: Abdul Hamid Mir COPYRIGHT TRANSFER 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 i 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 1 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