Sabotage to Tourism in J&K: Tourism players
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 11: The bizarre Government order in which the district administration Baramulla has asked the hoteliers to cancel pre-booking in Gulmarg for holding Khelo India National Winter Games has put the travel agents and hoteliers in a fix.
The Government order issued by the Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla today asked the Sub-Division Magistrate Gulmarg to make provisions for boarding and lodging of athletes and officials for holding Khelo India National Winter Games from 26th February to 2nd March at Gulmarg.
“You are requested to ensure that boarding, lodging facility is provided to the Athletes and officials during the event (25th Feb to 3rd March 2021. Further all pre-bookings if any on this account may be cancelled”, read the order.
The order comes as a rude shock to the hoteliers and travel agents. “The games are being held in Gulmarg for which announcements were made long back but the Government has failed to block the hotel accommodation required for the athletes and officials”, said a travel agent.
“What will we do? How can we cancel accommodations of tourists who had made their bookings months ago? They have planned their vacations. They have booked air tickets. They can sue us and at the same time our reputation is at stake”, he said.
The Khyber hotel has been asked to keep 15 rooms for Khelo India Winter Games for 26th, 27th, 28th February and 8 rooms for 1st and 2nd March.
The Highland Park has been asked to keep 8 rooms, Kholahai Green 13 rooms, Nedous 7 rooms, Vintage 14 rooms, Rose Wood 13 rooms, Khalil Palace 13 rooms, Grand Mumtaz 20, Royal Park 20 rooms, Shah Resort 8 rooms, Pine Spring 10 rooms, Shah Inn 5 rooms and Heaven Resort 13 rooms for the event. These hotels are only for VVIPs, VIPs and media persons. Besides the other hotels have been asked to provide accommodation for athletes.
A travel agent told Excelsior that Khyber hotel is cancelling the bookings of his clients after they were asked to keep the rooms for Winter Games. “How is it possible? My clients are high end, they will drag me to Supreme Court. Besides my reputation is at stake. They are sabotaging the tourism in J&K”, he said.
A hotelier in Gulmarg told Excelsior that they are being threatened by the administration. “It seems there is Martial law. If Government had to organise the event, the hotel bookings should have been done at least Six months in advance. For their inefficiency, they should not harass hoteliers and travel agents and tourists”, he said.
“They are forcibly taking the rooms. It is a brute force. How can they even think about this? They are sabotaging the tourism in J&K”, he said.
Director Tourism, Dr GN Itoo was not available for comments on the impact of the Government order on tourism in J&K.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: “The games are a welcome addition to our calendar but its mindless application of Government writ when the games become a reason to cancel hotel bookings and inconvenience to tourists who have booked flights and made their plan well in advance”.
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