Kashmir, Tourism & Protests – An Update
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by David in Blog, Kashmir, News
As a tourism company focusing on the Kashmir region, figuring out what to say or not say regarding the protests happening this summer in Kashmir is difficult. Protests in a tourist destination are never good publicity, especially for Kashmir which already struggles with travel warnings from some Western countries.
The current protests that began in June 2010 have greatly affected the whole tourism industry for Kashmir. We have had to make changes to our plans, including revising the Lumen Dei photo workshop/tour that had a portion of its itinerary in Kashmir.
At the present time tourism isn’t impossible for Kashmir, but the situation is far from normal. Certain activities are not advisable, such as touring cultural heritage sites in the old city area of Srinagar (where most of the protests are happening). Others, like visiting the Mughal Gardens or exploring Dal Lake on a shikara boat ride, are possible.
At FT&T India we know Kashmir can be a riskier place for tourists, yet we take the safety of our customers seriously. We don’t rely only upon news reports to evaluate the situation. We spend most of our time in Kashmir, so we know firsthand what’s going on and have built a reliable network of local partners that helps us assess potential risk. While the current situation in Kashmir is far from ideal, we hope for things to improve and remain committed to benefiting Kashmir through responsible tourism.
If you have questions about the latest developments in Kashmir and what’s possible or not for tourism, let us know by email or in the comments below.
Update 3 November 2010: The protests that began this summer in Kashmir are still continuing, however they have lessened in intensity from where things were in August and September. It’s still not “normal”, but tourism is certainly possible provided you stay aware of the situation in case things change. We’ve seen Indian and foreign tourists begin returning to Kashmir in October without any problems. I’m going to close the comments for this post, but please feel free to still email us if you have questions about the situation.
12 Responses to “Kashmir, Tourism & Protests – An Update”
Kashmir Gallery
Hi
I am planning to visit kashmir from 19th Oct to 27th Oct with my family we are 9 members.Plese guide me if its safe to travel Kashmir in that period.As we really wanted to go kashmir as since past 4 years we have been planning but something or other happens.
Thanks
Sunand
Hi Sunand – Your October days may be fine for travel depending on where you want to go in Kashmir and what happens over the next month. Sorry I can’t be more specific than that, but it’s hard to predict what it will be like in over a month and a half!
As you still have some time before your visit, I would recommend waiting to see how things develop after the Muslim Eid holiday (11 September). Flight prices do not seem to be going up for Srinagar at the moment, and October isn’t usually a crowded month for hotel or houseboat bookings.
our family are planning to go to kashmir 2nd oct….is it safe to go there…?????
We are currently holding off on tours up to Kashmir at the moment, partly due to the security concerns of our customers and also due to the limits of what types of tourist activities are possible. The situation is hard to predict at the moment so I can’t say for sure what’s possible or what degree of safety you might have at the beginning of October.
I am planning to visit kashmir from 1th Oct to 5th Oct with my family we are 12 members 6adult and 6children.Plese guide me if its safe to travel Kashmir in that period.As we really wanted to go kashmir as since past 4 years we have been planning but something or other happens.
Hi Anu – a new protest program was recently issued covering the dates you’re looking at. Strikes are called for on the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th so unfortunately it looks like travel during those dates may be difficult due to the planned protests.
Dear Sir,
I saw your website today. I wish to know whether it is safe to travel to Jammu(for attending a Seminar and see the temples) and to Katra(to have the darshan of Mata Vaishnodevi) during the period: 24-30, October, 2010 ?
Thank you in advance.
We don’t coordinate any tours in the Jammu area as our main focus is in the Kashmir Valley, however, I’m not aware of any problems affecting the region around Jammu and Katra.
Dear sir
I am planning to visit kashmir from 14th Oct to 27th Oct with my family we are 5 members.Is it safe to travel there at that time?
Hi Joy – Depends where you are going and what you plan to do. Things have calmed down in Srinagar, although there are still strike/protest programs being issued with some days open and other days closed. I hear that the area around Islamabad/Anantnag is still tense in case you are considering Pahalgam. Feel free to email info (at) frontiertreksindia.com if you have further questions.
I am planning to visit Srinagar from 4th Dec to 7th Dec with my wife.Is it safe to travel there at that time?
While the tension in Kashmir is not resolved, the situation has certainly calmed down a lot over the past month. There are both foreign and Indian tourists visiting Srinagar at the moment, and they seem able to do most things other than visit cultural heritage sites in the old city on days when strikes are called.