Promotional activities continue, footfall rising, says Director Qamar Sajad
Srinagar, Apr 06: With tourist footfall steadily increasing across the Valley, the Tourism Department is all set to come close to the previous year’s record, Director Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajad, said in a special interaction with Rising Kashmir.
“The department has been making persistent efforts to woo tourists to the Valley. We have been organising festivals and events to attract tourists,” Sajad said, adding that multiple festivals, including the Frov Festival in Pahalgam, Movera, Aishmuqam, and Bumzoo Anantnag, have recently been organised to boost tourism activities across the Valley, with both locals and tourists participating.
“There has been no let-up in the number of promotional activities, which has finally ended up in a rise in tourist footfall here,” he added.
The Director further informed that while the tourist rush was pleasing during the winter season, the trend in the ongoing spring season is almost parallel. “We are expecting a good tourist footfall across the Valley, and the number is persistently rising.
The Tourism Department is hopeful that the number of tourists this season will be similar to that of 2025. The expectations are high, and we will hopefully achieve the previous year’s record vis-à-vis tourist influx in Kashmir as well,” he added.
A total of 11,16,043 tourists visited Kashmir in 2025, of which approximately 10,93,050 were domestic tourists, and 22,993 were foreign visitors.
The tourism sector has been witnessing a boom over the last couple of years, with tourist footfall increasing every year and setting new records in the Union Territory.
In 2021, Kashmir received 6,65,777 tourists, including 6,64,163 domestic and 1,614 foreign tourists. Tourism rebounded strongly in 2022, with 26,73,442 visitors, comprising 26,53,495 domestic and 19,947 foreign nationals.
The upward trend continued in 2023, with tourist arrivals reaching 31,55,835, including 31,18,157 domestic and 37,678 foreign visitors. The sector touched a peak in 2024 when Kashmir received 34,98,702 tourists, of which 34,55,048 were domestic, and 43,654 were foreign.
