Over 1.7 crore tourists, including 36,000 foreigners, to visit J&K in 2025: Govt | India News

Jammu: Over 1.7 billion tourists, including over 36,000 foreign tourists, will visit Jammu and Kashmir in 2025, the government informed the Assembly on Saturday.In a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Hasnain Masoodi, the tourism ministry gave the number of tourists who visited the union territory between January 1 and December 31, 2025 at 1,77,65,390. Among them, 36,410 were international tourists and 1,77,28,980 were domestic tourists.Replying to a question on whether the government has set a fixed target for the number of international and domestic tourists to J&K by 2026, the government said the tourism department has not yet set a specific target, adding, “Sustained and concrete efforts are being taken to increase the inflow of domestic and international tourists over the existing numbers through various promotional and development initiatives.”“On the question on the resumption of international flights at the Srinagar Airport, the government replied that the Sheikh Alam International Airport in Srinagar is fully equipped with all the infrastructure and facilities required to handle international flight operations, including immigration, customs, security and passenger handling arrangements.“The launch of international flights depends on the operational and commercial decisions of each airline. The airport is always fully prepared to facilitate international flight operations when airlines decide to start operations,” the government said.Regarding the homestay program and the challenges associated with it, the government said the program has been largely successful, increasing accommodation capacity, creating local jobs and encouraging community participation in the tourism industry. “Given its positive impact, the program may be expanded to other potential areas,” the government said.“Key challenges include lack of awareness, capacity constraints and infrastructure-related issues, which are being addressed through awareness campaigns, capacity building initiatives and coordination of infrastructure support with relevant authorities,” the government said.