Srinagar: A slew of initiatives undertaken by the Department of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the tourist season, appears to be paying rich dividends for the sector in the KashmirValley.

In Kashmir, there has been a remarkable surge in tourist arrivals this season and the state government’s tourism department attributes this to the number of measures it has taken, including holding several road shows in India and abroad to attract potential tourists.

An estimated 200, 000 tourists have already visited Jammu and Kashmir this season, which is more than double for the corresponding period last year.

“Around two lakh tourists have visited Kashmir so far, which is more than double compared to the same quarter of the previous calendar year,” said Joint Director Tourism Department Kashmir, Mohammad Saleem.

The upgradation of the tourist department’s website is also believed to have helped in boosting tourist arrivals to the state.

“The website receives nearly 300 hits every day. This is an indication that this season would be a good tourist year,” Saleem added.

The innovative measures of the Department of Tourism apart, tour operators and travel agents are also leaving no stone unturned to attract tourists to the state, and in particular to the scenic Kashmir Valley.

Saleem said that he expected the influx of tourists to continue during the coming months, and expected arrivals to go beyond the million mark.

“Last year, the Valley received around 600,000 tourists and given the tourist flow this time, it is likely to reach a figure of 12 lakh this year,” said Saleem.

The Department of Tourism has said that it is making the best possible arrangements for a hassle-free stay for visitors.

“We have installed one kiosk each at Jammu and Srinagar airport and at Tourist Reception Center. The kiosks are GIS-based, which would be hyperlinked through satellite system. Besides, we are distributing pamphlets to tourists at airports that will provide them the needed information,” said Saleem.

He also said that steps are being taken to improve accommodation facilities, including offering incentive to locals who were willing to convert their residences into guesthouses.

Service providers believe that the October 2010 Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi may also contribute to the tourist inflow to Kashmir.

“We used to get a major chunk of tourists from Mahrashtra and Gujarat, where the school holidays have been halved. These states would extend the rest of holiday period during Commonwealth Games, which may impact the tourist inflow here,” said the president of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, Rauf Ahmed Tramboo.