J&K to reopen tourism 'soon'; move receives mixed reactions

Jammu and Kashmir will soon reopen for tourism as the J&K administration is forming a detailed guidelines and SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). The Lieutenant Governor issued the directions in a high-level meeting in Srinagar on Monday.

The decision to allow tourists will boost UT's revenue. A recent report had revealed that tourism in the Kashmir valley of J&K is expected to boost in the coming months as domestic travel will pick up by the end of this year. A large number of backpackers are likely to choose Kashmir as a popular travel spot post-COVID-19 lockdown.

The development follows other states' lead as they slowly start to relax lockdown restrictions. But the move has received mixed reactions. The critics have noted that "opening tourism in Kashmir at the moment will be a disaster. Tourism across the world should be the last priority."

Coronavirus in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir is not one of the worst-hit regions in India. The total tally reached 8,675 as on Monday with 246 new cases in a single day. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the UT rose to 138 after six patients died in the last 24 hours. There are 3,219 active cases in the union territory while 5,318 patients have recovered from the infection so far.