Kamal Ghorui
JAMMU: Over 1.7 crore tourists visited Jammu & Kashmir in 2025, including over 36,000 foreign visitors, the govt informed the assembly on Saturday.In a written reply to a starred question raised by Hasnain Masoodi, MLA, the tourism department gave out a figure of 1,77,65,390 tourists having visited the Union territory between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of 2025. Of them, 36,410 are international travellers, while 1,77,28,980 are domestic tourists.Replying to a question whether the govt has fixed targets for the number of international and domestic tourists visiting J&K in 2026, the govt stated that no specific targets have been fixed by the tourism department, adding that, “Sustained and concrete efforts are being made to enhance tourist inflow, both domestic and international, over the existing numbers through various promotional and developmental initiatives.”On the resumption of international flights from Srinagar airport, the govt replied that Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar, is fully equipped with all necessary infrastructure and facilities to handle international flight operations, including immigration, customs, security, and passenger handling arrangements.“The commencement of international flights is subject to the operational and commercial decisions of the respective airlines. The airport remains fully prepared at all times to facilitate international flight operations as and when airlines decide to commence them,” the govt stated.Regarding the Home Stay initiative and challenges related to it, the govt said the initiative has been largely successful, enhancing accommodation capacity, generating local employment and encouraging community participation in tourism. “Given its positive impact, the programme is likely to be expanded to other potential areas,” the govt said.“The major challenges faced include lack of awareness, capacity constraints, and infrastructure related issues, which are being addressed through awareness campaigns, capacity-building initiatives, and coordination with the departments concerned for infrastructure support,” the govt said.
