India: Kashmir Bouncing Back as Tourist Destination, Sunderbans Access May Get Easier

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | July 16th, 2008 | Trackback

The long-troubled region of Kashmir is booming with tourists this summer, providing optimism that it is finally turning a page on the simmering insurgency that has made the area a war zone for two decades. Before the conflict began in 1989, 250,000 visitors came to Srinigar, the capital city; this year 400,000 have come in the first six months. Even more encouraging, a large number of youth have abandoned the separatist movement in favor of a pursuing a normal life. Militant leaders say their efforts are by no means over, and the Indian army still maintains a heavy presence in the area, but 15 full flights a day are landing in Srinigar, and morale is high. In other news, permits to visit the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve in northeastern India may get easier to obtain for foreigners. Currently the process requires submitting your passport to a government office in Kolkata and getting the permit can often take hours. The government is reviewing the system and reportedly in favor of abandoning it.

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