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Several hotels are offering free breakfast, lunch or dinner, while some are also providing discounted taxi service to Jammu-Srinagar airport.
Amarnath Yatra become lifesaver for hotel business (Source: Internet)
Srinagar: Shri Amarnath Yatra has become a lifesaver for the hotel business, which collapsed after the Pahalgam terror attack. Now hotel business revived after nearly two months when pilgrims started to come, reports Dynamite News correspondent.
Hoteliers have also showered attractive offers to cash in this opportunity. Discounts ranging from 20% to 35% are being given in the hotels of Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Anantnag and Chandanwadi.
Several hotels are offering free breakfast, lunch or dinner, while some are also providing discounted taxi service to Jammu-Srinagar airport.
According to Pahalgam hoteliers, the bookings which had reached close to zero after the attack have now improved due to the pilgrims. The situation has also changed in Sonamarg.
Farooq, president of the Hotel Association there, says that the bookings have increased from 5% to 30%. Sonmarg businessmen Shahzad Rasool and Imtiaz Ahmed believe that the trip has given new life to their business.
Along with hotels, huge discounts are also being offered in cottages, villas, resorts and homestays. On online websites, villas costing Rs 1 lakh are now available for Rs 23,000 to Rs 77,000, while rooms worth Rs 15,000-25,000 are available for Rs 10,000-18,000. In Pahalgam and Sonmarg, the option of overnight stay is also available for Rs 1,000-2,000.
Hoteliers are calling this trip their good fortune, which has washed away the stain of terrorism and opened their economic path.
Another batch of pilgrims left for the valley from Jammu on 3 July for the 36-day long Amarnath Yatra. The second batch includes 5246 pilgrims, who were sent from Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu amid tight security.
The pilgrims proceeded chanting 'Bam Bam Bhole' and 'Har Har Mahadev'. Officials said that out of these pilgrims, 1993 pilgrims are going to Baltal base camp, while 3253 are going to Pahalgam base camp.
Pilgrims showed enthusiasm to have darshan of Baba Barfani. They were happy with the facilities and security arrangements.
In the second batch, there are some pilgrims who are going on Amarnath Yatra for the first time.
A devotee said that he has been coming here for Amarnath Yatra continuously since 2019. This time it feels very good.
