Srinagar: With the guns having gone silent on the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir for over a year - following the agreement of ceasefire which was signed between the two nations - border areas of India are now welcoming tourists. People residing on the Line of Control are finally "living a life of peace" and now the government, along with the locals, are promoting these bordering areas as new tourist destinations. 


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The bordering areas in North Kashmir have now been thrown open to the public. Areas like Keran, Gurez, Tangdhar, Machil, and Bangus are the new tourist destinations, which have been added to the list by the tourism department. With breathtaking views of the hills and rivers, these places are being promoted as adventure tourism destinations. 


Waqar Majaz Khan, a homestay owner in Keran, says, "With the ceasefire, we are finally living a normal life. We are extremely happy and it has come as a blessing for us. We used to live in bunkers earlier and we are hoping that we don't see those days again. We don't have the money to invest in building hotels, that's why we have started homestays. This will give us employment. The view that you get in Keran, I challenge you, if you can find this view anywhere in the world!" 


The Indian Army has played a major role in opening these areas to the public. The whole security setup in these areas is under the Indian army and they are not only protecting these areas but also promoting them as tourist destinations. The locals of the area say that without the Indian army, it would not be possible to welcome tourists to these areas. 



Raja Suhail Khan from Keran says, "We are thankful to the Indian Army. We get a lot of support from the Army. Tourism is also coming to this place because of the Indian army. It's a beautiful place and we are turning our homes into homestays. It's completely peaceful here following the ceasefire and we hope people from across the country will visit us."


The Tourist Department of the Jammu and Kashmir government recently added 75 new destinations to their list. 38 destinations are in the Kashmir region while 37 are in Jammu. The government has drawn plans for these areas to build infrastructure keeping in view the ecosystem of these places. They are also providing opportunities to the locals of these areas to earn an income by boosting economy and generating employment.


GN Itoo, Director, Tourism Kashmir, says, "The main thrust is to promote rural tourism and in rural tourism also, we have identified 75 offbeat destinations in total, out of which 38 from Kashmir and 37 from Jammu. The idea is to focus on these destinations - border areas like Gurez, Keran, Machil, and Tangdhar - as tourist places. These are the areas falling under the scheme, the plans have been drawn and we are in consultation with district administration and India Army to promote these areas for adventure tourism." He adds, "Effort is also being made to generate employment for locals in the tourism sector. They can run homestays, become guides, and introduce adventure sports. This will improve the economy while promoting these places as tourist spots. However, these are eco-sensitive areas and we can't have huge, concrete structures here. We are focusing on tents and homestays."


As Kashmir witnessed record tourist arrivals in the last four months, all major tourist destinations in the Valley like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg are fully booked for the next two months. The government says that the promotion of new spots will help cater to the huge influx of tourists coming to the Kashmir Valley.