Soaring Airfares

One of the biggest spoilers of the tourism sector in Kashmir Valley, other than the troubled situation, has been the frequent hikes in airfares. This discourages tourists from visiting the Valley and diverts them to other parts of the country where they can travel with lower fares. In fact, often the tourists can travel with lesser cost to a foreign country such as the United Arab Emirates.

The exorbitant airfares thus create a man-made crisis for the Valley’s tourism sector, which, in turn, affects the livelihoods of thousands of people. It goes without saying that tourism plays a key role in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, contributing significantly to its GDP and providing employment opportunities across various sectors.

Due to a lingering dry spell, Kashmir already has had a lean tourist season this winter. In the most visited resorts such as Gulmarg and Pahalgam, visitor numbers have declined by 30 and 50 percent respectively. The government has already been forced to defer winter games scheduled to be held between at Gulmarg. The games would have put a spotlight on the Valley, drawing more tourists other than the sportsmen participating in the event. With snow still eluding the Valley, the government finds itself unable to reschedule the games. And, anyways, with March approaching, the chances of snowing will increasingly abate.

There’s, however, hope that the upcoming spring will compensate for the winter shortfall. Apart from a snowbound winter, Kashmir’s spring has been one of the biggest tourism draws for the Valley. As things stand, airfares are skyrocketing right at the onset of spring. According to reports, for Delhi-Srinagar flights, travellers pay Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000, while those from Bangalore must pay around Rs 17,000. Mumbai residents are confronted with even steeper fares of Rs 27,000, and Kolkata passengers face rates around Rs 18,000. This will discourage the middle class, which comprises the majority of tourists, from visiting the Valley.

True, the issue of escalating airfares is not specific to Kashmir. It can and does happen with other places too. There are many factors at play in the air price variations, such as seasonal demand fluctuations and operational costs. At the same time, predatory pricing practices by the airlines too can’t be ruled out. And this is where the government’s intervention is required. More so, at a place like Kashmir that heavily relies on tourism to sustain its economy. With the largely dry winter already costing us dearly in terms of tourist inflow, higher airfares can dent spring arrivals too.