Srinagar- As Kashmir gears up for the peak tourist season, the issue of rising airfares during the peak tourist season has stirred concern among both tourism stakeholders and locals alike.
According to tourism players, as the summer season approaches, the airfares between Srinagar and other major Indian cities witness a significant surge, casting a shadow over travel plans and financial considerations of tourists.
Speaking to Kashmir Observer, Abbas Kashmiri, a ticket broker, highlighted the annual surge in ticket prices during every summer season.
“Last month, a one-way ticket from Srinagar to Delhi used to cost around Rs 3,500-4,000. Now, those prices have skyrocketed to Rs 7,000, with fares often reaching a staggering Rs 13,000-14,000 during peak tourist season,” Abbas said.
The situation isn’t any better for flights to other major cities. Mumbai, for example, saw ticket prices jump from Rs 7,000 just a month ago to a hefty Rs 11,000.”
Manzoor Ahmad Pakthoon, chairman of the Kashmir Houseboat Owners’ Association, said that tourism players in the Kashmir Valley have repeatedly raised the issue of airfare escalation during peak tourist season with authorities, but no action has been taken.
“Tourists mostly from south India complain of the rising airfares. Travel to outside India is turning out to be cheaper to them than visiting Kashmir. So, the government should increase the number of flights so that ticket prices are kept in check,” Pakhtoon said.
Pakhtoon added that the issue of unilateral fare hike of air tickets hurts the locals and tourists alike. “It is not only tourists who are troubled by the rising airfares. The students studying Kashmir valley and those going out of Kashmir valley for medical emergencies also suffer because of the rising airfares.”
Rauf Tramboo, President of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) voiced similar views saying the issue of rising airfares is a burning issue which affects the Kashmir tourism Industry and expensive family packages can discourage tourists from travelling to Kashmir.
“Unlike foreign tourists who mostly travel as couples, Indian tourists travel with all of their families and most of them cannot afford expensive packages to Kashmir which can hold them back from visiting Kashmir,” Tramboo said.
“We have been raising the issue from the last many years and till now all our pleas have been falling on deaf ears. I hope authorities look into the matter,” he added.
He further said that compared to Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Kashmir has become a costly choice for Indian tourists. It is time for the government to step in and to regulate airfares akin to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Chennai. “Implementing a mechanism to cap prices during peak demand is essential for Kashmir’s tourism sustainability.”
Notably, in March 2023, a parliamentary panel urged the civil aviation ministry to establish price limits for airfares, preventing airlines from using predatory pricing strategies under the guise of a free-market economy.
The panel emphasized the need to strike a balance between the commercial interests of private airlines and the welfare of passengers. They highlighted the importance of enabling the growth of private airlines while ensuring passengers are not exploited in the name of commercialization.
However, the government made it clear that they aren’t in favor of interfering in a free-market economy by putting caps on airfares.
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